Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson questioned on Thursday the remarks of Sen.

Grace
Poe saying that her move to reclassify Rappler as social media was meant to marginalize the online
news outfit.

I respect and hold in high esteem, Sen. Grace Poe and welcome her remarks. However, it becomes
quite clear now that it is not Rappler that is being marginalized but social media, Uson said in a
statement.

In a one-page letter to Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, Uson, an assistant secretary for
social media, wanted Rappler to be under her office and be removed from Malacaang Press Corps
because it has no print or broadcast arm.

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Poe, in a statement, said the attempt to marginalize Rappler are both misplaced and inconsistent
with the essence of press freedom.

The move to marginalize Rappler in its coverage of the Palace and to demand the legal authority of the
Malacaang Press Corps (MPC) to cover the President are both misplaced and inconsistent with the
essence of press freedom and the peoples right to be informed of the Presidents activities and
pronouncements, she said.

But Uson said the senator marginalized social media with her statement.

When you equate a reclassification to my division as a marginalization, you are saying that its NOT ok
for mainstream media to be marginalized, but its alright to do that to social media, she said.

She said reclassifying Rappler as social media wont cut its access to cover Malacaang.

Let me be clear. Coverage of Malacaang is simply access to information that ought to be made
available to everyone. And classifying Rappler as social media would only be a problem if the latter is
denied equal access to this information, she said.

In her blog post, Uson said:

Sa madaling salita madam Senator, Kung i-classify ang Rappler as social media restricted na sya? So
ang SocMed pala restricted? Hindi ba ang ibig sabihin ng press freedom ay kalayaan mamahayag o
magsalita? So walang ganun ang SocMed? Pili lang po ba ang may kalayaan mamahayag o magsalita sa
atin bayan? she said.

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The Palace official then questioned Poes silence when MPC was allegedly meddling on the request of
bloggers to be accredited to cover Malacaang.

At asan po kayo noong pinakikialaman ng MPC ang accreditation ng mga bloggers na papasok sa
Malacaang? Care to also give a statement for the freedom of information of bloggers? she said.
Below is Usons blog:

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/944301/philippine-news-updates-mocha-uson-grace-poe-

social-media-press-freedom-malacanang-press-corps#ixzz4xz4Dj9JP

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