'HK reporters crossed the line for shouting at PNoy'

MANILA, Philippines - A Malacañang official on Monday expressed concern over the reported "heckling" of President Benigno Aquino III by some Hong Kong journalists during the APEC Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang said while walking into the plenary session, the President was "accosted very rudely and very aggressively" by some people claiming to be journalists from Hong Kong.

Reports said the journalists shouted questions at Aquino regarding the Manila hostage crisis in 2010 that killed several Hong Kong tourists.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) said in a statement that the reporters involved are from Now TV Commercial Radio and Radio Television Hong Kong.

"As a former journalist, I know what it's like to aggressively question a subject. The behavior of those reporters crossed the line from mere questioning to heckling and was even construed by Indonesian security personnel assigned to the President as a potential physical threat to him," Carandang said in a statement shown by a report on ANC.

He added that Indonesian authorities deemed the alleged heckling to be "excessive" and took "what they believe was appropriate action" to prevent the Hong Kong journalists from getting close to Aquino.

Carandang said Aquino remained "calm" throughout the incident.

The Hong Kong journalists have been reportedly barred from covering the APEC ministerial conference, a move that the HKJA has "strongly condemned."

“It is a journalist’s job to ask questions of public concern. The Hong Kong public remains concerned with the killing of its  people during the hostage taking crisis for which Manila has yet to provide a satisfactory explanation," HKJA Chairperson Sham Yee-lan said in a statement.

“The barring of the media for asking critical questions is an outright infringement of press freedom that is totally unacceptable,” she added.

The HKJA claimed that Aquino ignored the questions but several officials then approached the Hong Kong reporters and "seized their accreditation cards" declaring: “We don't welcome you.  You offended our Excellency.”

The group is also seeking an explanation and resolution of the incident.