4th World Meeting of Families staff says ‘sorry’ to media

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Socrates Villegas and former Philippine Ambassador to the Vatican Henrietta de Villa yesterday apologized to the local media covering the 4th World Meeting of Families in Quirino Grandstand, Manila for alleged discrimination against them.

In two separate statements, the two officials of the 4th World Meeting of Families conveyed their apologies for the treatment made by members of the organizers against the Filipino reporters, discriminating them against the foreign press.

"It’s not certainly the policy (banning the local media to cover the 4th World Meeting of Families). We are doing our best to just put things in order," said Villegas, in a telephone message sent to the local press. "I’ll look into it (the problem). The most I can say is that it’s not a policy. It’s not from us," said Villegas.

Villegas’ statement was made hours after a reporter from a daily newspaper almost slugged it out with one of the marshals, during the closing ceremony of the 4th World Meeting of Families, when the civilian marshal told the reporter that he was like an uneducated journalist who could not even understand instructions not to enter certain restricted areas.

About four policemen grabbed the reporter, who was about to strike the marshal after he said, "Kagabi ka pa gustong pumasok dito (sa area). Hindi ka ba edukado. Kung hindi puwede, di puwede," said the marshal.

The police pacified the reporter and tried to calm him down.

A meeting will be arranged between Villegas and the local journalists to clear out misunderstandings. – Sandy Araneta