Every time I’m invited to cover a Presidential visit, I always had a second thought if I should go or not. Because aside from it’s not my primary job — as journalist — I hate the powertripping of the PSG men. I understand their job but sometimes they are too much. Not just the PSG but as well as some Presidential Management Staff people.

I remember one Presidential visit, it was GMA, in Davao City when a PMS staff told Davao City-based journalists to stay behind because they are prioritizing the ‘national media.’ What the heck? All of us wasted our time to cover the event, all of the journalists should be treated fairly in coverages. We understand that there are so-called ‘close-in’ journalists but they (PMS or PSG) should not just easily ease out other journalists.

During the visit of GMA this afternoon at Bankerohan Bridge, one PMS staff told me and other Davao City-based reporters to back-off from the President’s path. She asserted that we should stay behind the rope line. A stupid order. How can photographers or videographers do their duty if they’ll just limit them in one space?

She also said: “Doon lang po sa likod ng tali kasi once na dumating na sa Presidente, bawal na po ang gumalaw.” This is the first time I’ve heard in my years of covering a Presidential visit. “Bawal ang gumalaw.” Of course, I refused to follow her order. I just squeezed myself into the crowd while waiting for the President to arrive.

As she arrived, I rushed to the middle of the narrow path and positioned myself along with Malacañan photographers. As GMA made handshakes with the crowd, I’ve already positioned myself in front of her. The PSG kept on pulling my backpack to clear the way. I hold my feet on the ground and kept on shooting until I think that I already had the good shot.

That was the time when I already positioned myself with the other photographers who were held off in one area. Some were pushed behind the ropeline but I refused.

That mess was over in just about 15 minutes or less. Then GMA headed to Grand Regal Hotel to meet the mayors who gathered for the First Mindanao Island Cluster Congress of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP). I arrived late at the hotel because I still have to shoot more in the area for my class assignment( the main reason why I had to cover the visit).

At the outside part lobby, I saw some reporters who were complaining because they were not allowed to enter the main lobby of the hotel. According to them, the PSG would no longer allow them enter function hall because they were late.

So I just took photos of the anti-riot policemen who were waiting for the protesters to arrive in front of the hotel. But then even a shadow of the protesters did not show up even at the vicinity of the hotel. Could be because they were stopped along the way. Hundreds of police and military have been deployed along the road to the hotel from Bankerohan.

Several minutes before GMA got out of the hotel, I saw several journalists too who were walking towards us. I thought they made it inside. Only to find out that they were event evicted from the function hall even before the President arrived. See how paranoid they are?

Out of their frustration, some journalists ripped their security passes. Very useless security pass.

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