Cafe Tribune Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar takes a swig. ROY PELOVELLO">Cafe Tribune Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar takes a swig. ROY PELOVELLO

Foreign media, majority from western countries which are very critical of the President, have formed a long queue to interview President Rodrigo Duterte.

During Wednesday’s “Straight Talk with Daily Tribune,” Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said a very long line has formed for requests to interview Mr. Duterte.

“What I do is I forward such requests – there is a long queue actually – to the Office of the President,” Andanar, without identifying the foreign media entities, said.

As a former media practitioner, he said it’s natural for him to push for the interviews if only to properly communicate the Duterte administration’s vision for the country to the international community.

“But, at the end of the day, it’s the President who decides,” he stressed.

So far, Andanar said the President has acceded to interviews by media entities from China, Russia and Japan.

However, he maintained that the PCOO is reaching out to international media via its Office of Global Media Affairs (OGMA) through active engagements during visits by foreign media in the country and abroad.

“We will continue to bridge the media to the government through active engagements,” he vowed.

He cited the recent coverage by the international media of the return of the historic Balangiga bells from the United States and last Monday’s plebiscite for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in Mindanao.

“In both activities, PCOO, through the Office of Global Media Affairs, facilitated the coverage and even escorted the international media,” he added.

Two weeks ago, Andanar said PCOO officials signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Thailand for information exchanges. The MoU came after 70 years of diplomatic relations between Manila and Bangkok.

The PCOO chief, a former media practitioner himself, said his lifelong advocacies are strengthening media interests through policies, media engagement and media solutions.

He cited Administrative Order 1 that created the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) and the adoption of Freedom of Information (FoI) in the Executive branch through Executive Order 2 as the first two orders issued by Mr. Duterte.

“We continue to support media policies that promote the greatest welfare of media workers. We continue to promote FoI,” he said.

Andanar added he wanted to personally meet local media workers around the country to hear their concerns.

Under Mr. Duterte’s administration, the Philippines was delisted from Reporters Without Borders’ (Reporters Sans Frontières) list of five most dangerous countries for journalists.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, another international journalism group, has also noted the Philippines’ “improved status” in the 2018 Global Impunity Index.

He said the PCOO has been assisting foreign media in their coverage of the plebiscite for the ratification of the BOL through the newly formed OGMA.

The agency transported them from Manila to Cotabato City using C130 planes of the Department of National Defense.

“We are actually transporting several international media representatives from Manila all the way to Cotabato City,” he said.

He added the OGMA was present in Cotabato “from start to finish” and also provided escorts in their coverage of the ongoing elections.

The Daily Tribune named Andanar as the Best Media Personality of 2018.

The publication recognized him for his role in promoting the policies and programs of Mr. Duterte, particularly outside of the country.

“He (Andanar) wants to bring President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s policies internationally to inform them about what is really happening on the ground. This is where the role of the Office for Global Media and International Affairs enters – to usher international press and engage with them,” the Daily Tribune said.

It also recognized his contribution in promoting the welfare and safety of media workers in the country through the creation of the PTFoMS.

“As a mediaman himself, Sec. Martin Andanar strongly pushes for his advocacy to cooperate with the media workers,” according to the publication.

“He sticks to three media objectives: creating media policies, engaging with the media and giving media solutions. Andanar engages with regional media to attend to their concerns and issues and be of help through media solutions,” it added.

He expressed appreciation and gratitude for the recognition he received from the Daily Tribune.

In December last year, Andanar received the Dangal ng Sambayanang Filipino Award for Pinaka Mahusay sa Panglilingkod Bayan in the Gawad Filipino Awards.

He was also awarded the “Most Outstanding Public Servant” during the 2nd Diamond Golden Awards in November last year.

Andanar was also recognized by the National Press Club for his support for press freedom and the welfare of the Philippine media community.