A local newspaper in Tacloban City condemned the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and a city hall employee for blocking its two journalists who planned to cover Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s visit to the city on April 15. The Vanguard reported that these officials harassed and humiliated journalists Rolly Magallanes and Jessieboy Novilla.

The two journalists were at the Astrodome to report on Marcos’s attendance at the oath-taking of newly promoted teachers. These officials later photographed their IDs and called them “fake” when these clearly stated the journalists were from the newspaper.

The newspaper clarified it coordinated Magallanes and Novilla’s presence with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) director. The journalists also themselves knew of the protocol prohibiting them from entering the president’s area.

Despite this, officials drove away Magallanes and Novilla even when they were only outside the Astrodome interviewing people, a common and legitimate activity for media members. The Vanguard emphasized that its reporters’ presence at the event was vital to provide the public with accurate and timely information.

“Democracy has no place for intimidating, blocking, and publicly humiliating the media. This violates not only journalists’ rights but also the public’s right to know the truth,” the newspaper stated.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)-Leyte also condemned the humiliation and blocking of The Vanguard journalists. Beyond delaying their work, officials publicly shamed them.

“Such treatment is not merely a protocol issue but a clear violation of press freedom principles, which must be upheld in any situation,” according to NUJP-Leyte.

The Vanguard had previously experienced harassment, where some of its reporters were red-tagged simply for being NUJP members.