GMA’s close-in fotog under fire

The chief close-in photographer of President Arroyo came under fire from his colleagues in the Presidential News Photo Section who denounced him for allegedly making money by issuing unauthorized computer-generated photographs signed by the Chief Executive, among other graft complaints against him.

Acting on a two-page complaint addressed to his office, Press Secretary Noel Cabrera placed Jerry Carual under preventive suspension while the latter undergoes investigation by a three-man panel headed by Press Undersecretary Carmen "Ching" Suva.

The letter-complaint against Carual was signed by photographers and employees of the Malacañang photo section which is under the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS).

In their 10-point complaint, the Malacañang photographers alleged that Carual has abused his position "for personal... interests," citing his alleged use of government equipment to commit ... irregularities and acts of impropriety as close-in photographer of President Arroyo.

They accused Carual of using the photos of Mrs. Arroyo for "questionable distribution to Filipino-Chinese businessmen, politicians and other persons." They alleged that he used the digital camera "to copy unofficially the signature of Her Excellency, including the faking of the official Malacañang seal."

They also accused him of issuing the OPS-International Press Center (IPC) Media Services press ID cards and OP ID cards of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) which he supposedly "faked" using the digital computer of the Malacañang photo section.

The Malacañang photographers asked Cabrera to dismiss Carual from the service and appoint his replacement from within their ranks.

In his rebuttal letter sent to the Press Secretary, Carual vehemently denied each of the 10 complaints as nothing but "malicious accusations," and submitted official documents to belie the allegations against him.

The "too personal" accusations heaped upon him, he said, were concocted by "oldtimers" in the OPS photo section "who cannot seem to accept" his designation as their chief.

In their letter, the Palace photographers stated that the photo section has "enough photographers who can assume the duties of coverage and other services to the President, in the same way that we have been serving the past Presidents, with professionalism and quality work."

Carual, a former photographer of a tabloid, has worked as close-in photographer of Mrs. Arroyo since she was Vice President. Mrs. Arroyo brought him to Malacañang to work at the Office of the President with the rank of technical assistant and receiving an annual salary of P180,000. The press secretary designated him as concurrent chief of the Presidential Photo Section in March last year.

Carual was the same close-in photographer whom Mrs. Arroyo ordered to be sent back to the Philippines from London on Jan. 28 while she was there on a working visit.

But since Carual was the only pre-registered official photographer from the Philippines to cover the President’s appearance at the World Economic Forum held in New York on Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, the controversial photographer was sent back to cover the presidential events.

"Please be informed that I did not encounter this kind of problem when I was covering all by myself the activities of (Mrs. Arroyo) when she was still the VP of the country," said Carual who also submitted a character attestation issued in his favor by Revoli Cortez, The STAR photographer.

"If indeed I was remiss in my duties when she was still the VP, then I believe she (would have been) smart enough not to give me these huge responsibilities (as) head of the photo section," Carual told Cabrera.