Communications group irons out kinks

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino’s communications group has started to iron out kinks in their operations amid criticisms that its officials were themselves “miscommunicating.”

There were also reported factions belonging to the group of Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma and Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ricky Carandang and his undersecretary Manuel Quezon III.

Sources said the “skirmishes” were not directly visible to the President, but reports about his men’s differences had prompted him to tell Coloma and Carandang to work harmoniously.

Coloma, in an interview, downplayed the reported factions, saying he was coordinating with Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda on statements he would release to the media.

This is because Lacierda is the main spokesman of the President, he said.

Lacierda had also announced that he would primarily be the one talking on behalf of the President and that deputy spokesperson, lawyer Abigail Valte, would answer for him if he is not available.

Valte was the media bureau head during the campaign of Aquino as standard-bearer of the Liberal Party.

Carandang said he had agreed that Lacierda should do the talking to avoid confusing the message being sent to the people.

During the Aug. 23 hostage crisis, Coloma and Carandang did not have one statement about the call of Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang and media guidelines for journalists covering the incident.

Coloma had released informal guidelines but some media outfits complained that it was premature because Malacañang officials only had a dialogue with ABS-CBN television network.

Carandang said he did not release guidelines precisely because the consultations were not yet finished. But instead of talking to Coloma, Carandang spoke publicly first about the premature release of the guidelines, which, sources said, the President also noticed.

Sources noted that members of the communications group might not be aware that lack of communication among themselves could seriously affect government operations.

They cited Quezon’s insistence that a podium reserved for the President be used by Lacierda and others in conducting a briefing at the New Executive Building.

The sources said the staff had to move the podium in and out of the NEB room because Radio/Television Malacañang said it was only for the President, while Quezon maintained he got the permission from Aquino to use it.

Media men have also complained about the use of the podium when two or more officials conduct a briefing because one has to sit down first before another can stand up and face the cameras.

Before, there was a long table being used in press briefings, but the podium, which Quezon found to be “very nice,” replaced this.

Quezon also called the attention of Coloma once for posting something on the website of PCOO without his permission.

While Coloma thought it was okay because they were from the same group of communications, the sources said Quezon did not like it because he researched it from the Official Gazette website. He allegedly accused Coloma of plagiarism.

The sources said members of the communications group also could not easily decide on seating arrangements for the media panel composed of Mel Tiangco of GMA network, Ted Failon of ABS-CBN and Paolo Bediones of TV5 during an interview with the President last Thursday.