Media Fail to Verify Alleged Renovations in Malacañang

JEERS TO the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) for failing to confirm or verify alleged construction within Palace grounds, and for not sharing the story about its secrecy.

Duly accredited by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), the MPC is responsible for covering the President and the Office of the President and providing the public information on activities and policies related to the Office.  

Both in news accounts and commentaries, media have cited criticism of the frequent parties and festive events in and out of Malacañang along with the lack of government attention and action on current problems and concerns.

Some news reports noted celebrations which were held in the Palace while the Philippine peso was at an all-time low. The government’s decision to construct a catering area inside the Palace grounds also came under scrutiny in September. Rep. Arlene Brosas, Gabriela Women’s Party representative, questioned the need for it amid economic difficulties.

However, an even more significant construction has been ongoing in Palace grounds with little or no attention from media organizations. 

In his January 3 column for PressOne.PH, Antonio Montalvan II described the ongoing renovation of Bahay Pangarap, including the building of four interconnected villas – one for the Marcos couple and one each for their three sons. The Palace provided no official announcement regarding the renovation. 

Two Presidents, Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte, lived and worked in Malacañang without family members and used Bahay Pangarap as their official residence. It was built during the administration of President Gloria Arroyo for possible use of guests of state.

The column also cited Politiko, a news blog, that reported Marcos Jr.’s tapping Architect Conrad Onglao to renovate the presidential residence. Onglao is the same architect who renovated Bahay Pangarap in 2008. Construction, which began November last year, has only completed the first two-bedroom residence for the President and the First Lady.

Montalvan wrote that those involved in the construction were explicitly prohibited from revealing it, but photos have been posted in social media as the Marcoses did allow selfie requests from the workers. 

CMFR reviewed transcripts and videos of all published press briefings by the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) from the start of November up to the present and did not find any reports by the MPC about the building project or any confirmation or denial of the same. The absence of such reports raises questions about how well they are doing the job of being on the frontline of reporting Presidential news.  

A CMFR source who obviously needed to speak confidentially said that the media have been making efforts to uncover information about the undisclosed renovation. However, the OPS has so far not given any information. Despite the media’s persistent inquiries, the OPS has refused to provide any verification or comment on the matter, leaving the nature and scope of the renovation shrouded in secrecy.

Clearly, the public deserves to know about the renovations on Palace grounds. But due to the lack of media reports, there is no ascertaining the cost of the project, which presumably is funded by taxpayer money.
After Montalvan’s account, the story for Malacañang Press Corps is how well the President’s communications officers have protected the project with silence and secrecy. The people have the right to know.