Journalists told: Keep out, stay out of Davao Palace

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Enemies at the gate?

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has barred media from entering the premises of the Department of Public Works and Highways equipment depot where the Malacañang of the South is located.

Duterte is temporarily holding office at the Malacañang of the South until he flies to Manila on June 30 for his inauguration as the 16th president.

He announced Monday that he would no longer hold press conferences or grant media interviews.

He even shooed journalists away during the thanksgiving and victory party held last weekend, dismantling the platform earlier constructed for media covering the event held in the city’s Crocodile Park. 

Duterte met with Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and several other Liberal Party congressmen Tuesday night, but he did not allow journalists beyond the main gate of the DPWH depot, especially those coming from Manila representing the giant television networks. 

This was a departure from past practice when reporters were let in to the compound and asked to stay in a garage turned holding area before they were allowed at the back of the Malacañang of the South building where press conferences of Duterte were held last week.

The other night, reporters were forced to stay at the side of the highway leading to the Agusan provinces. 

Later, Duterte and his convoy whizzed by the group of reporters waiting outside the main gate of the DPWH compound. 

The president-elect said he is unfazed by the threat of international media groups to boycott his press conferences following his controversial statement on media killings. 

Instead, Duterte turned the tables on media by shutting out reporters assigned to cover him.

Duterte even told Manila-based media to pack up and go home, saying he could live without them.

Media were also barred from attending the thanksgiving and victory party that supporters of Duterte organized in Cebu City yesterday.

Duterte’s executive assistant Chirstopher Go said that no media coverage was allowed since the party was “strictly by invitation.”

The Bisaya Na Pud group led by businessman Michael Diño organized the thanksgiving party held at 5 p.m. at the Cebu Country Club.

Duterte has appointed Diño as his presidential assistant for the Visayas.

Duterte garnered 1.4 million votes in Cebu.

His trip to Cebu City was the first he took from Davao City since the May 9 polls. Duterte flew to Cebu on board a private jet.

The outgoing mayor did not even attend the joint session of the House and Senate that proclaimed him as the 16th president of the country last May 30.

Those who attended the Cebu City party were included in a list of 400 invited guests. 

The President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (PRRD) movement, whose members were said to have been the backbone of the Duterte campaign, is reportedly planning another victory party – to which media will probably not be invited.