Journos cry foul over bribery, being used by Palace, claims

Reporters covering President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., or the so-called Malacanang Press Corps (MPC), have denounced allegations that they are being paid or used by the administration to conceal the real score on the Chief Executive's health.

“We all knew that the state of health of the President is a vital aspect in the country’s security. It is clear from previous reports and videos of press briefings how our members questioned government officials about the President’s condition,” the MPC statement, released on Sunday, said.

The prime journalist beat said it stands by the truth of the reports released by its members this past week.

“We also condemn the blatant attempts to destroy the credibility of journalists and mislead our countrymen to advance the interests of some,” the MPC said, noting that the news articles they released, both online, print, and broadcast, have a clear basis, which are “reports gathered by asking people involved in the issue, or we ourselves witnessed it.”

Furthermore, the journalist beat reporters stated that they verify any information they gather to ensure it is factual before sharing it with the public.

“This is not done by content creators whose only assets are their social media accounts, wild imaginations, and questionable agendas. It is easy to accuse. It is easy to make up stories. It is easy to spread baseless rumors. This is not the work of responsible journalists,” the MPC inculcated.

The MPC also aired sadness that even at this point, there are still those who believe in the fraudsters, “who are poisoning the minds of our countrymen, whom we serve to the best of our ability.”

With this, the MPC urged the public to be more critical amidst the barrage of allegations on social media and to scrutinize the sources of information.

“Despite the slander, we will continue to ask questions, we will continue to observe, and we will continue to report fairly on the actions and policies of the President of the Republic of the Philippines. While many choose to believe the lies they want to believe, we will continue to stand by the truth and stand up for the interests of the people, no matter who sits in Malacañang,” the MPC stressed.

The MPC statement came after a barrage of defamatory posts on various social media platforms, particularly the post of Lorraine Badoy, an ex-spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, and a staunch supporter of then-President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, asking if the MPC regularly receives P50,000 from First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos.

“Correction: Tumatanggap. Regular basis pala. Yes or No,” the post said.

In 2024, Badoy, along with Jeffrey "Ka Eric" Celiz, was slapped by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 306 with a P2-million fine for linking broadcast journalist Atom Araullo to communist rebels.

The court found Badoy and Celiz abused the right to free speech by red-tagging Araullo.