AIRPORT PRESS CLUB (APC) MEMBERS WALK OUT AT BOC-NAIA E-TRAVEL LAUNCH

A walkout was staged by members of the Airport Press Club (APC) at the Bureau of Customs-NAIA’s launch of the Customs ETravel held at the NAIA Terminal 1 Tuesday afternoon.

The walkout was in protest of what the APC members described as ‘shabby treatment’ from the organizers of the event, where they were cordoned off from the main area of the presentation along with outside media, thus making it impossible for them to take good pictures or videos of the events happening in front.

It was also noted that two men were even assigned at the entrance to make sure that no media member gets through.

The media members complained that while they were made to stay at the back, those attending the event, most of whom are from the BOC, were also standing the entire program, blocking the media’s view.

Some of the attending guests also went back and forth taking pictures of their own, making it harder for the media to get a shot free from heads or people blocking the main subjects.

Having arrived 30 minutes before the event, the APC noted that they were also made to wait for about an hour, when the the invitation stated that the program was supposed to start at 4 p.m.

A couple of burly Customs personnel were even posted at the space alloted for the guests’ entry, to prevent any media member from attemtping to enter.

Notably, while the program went on, the media members had much difficulty taking pictures or videos since the guests inside the cordoned area were all standing, with some of them taking photos or videos of their own, thus blocking the only available open spot in the middle which had been occupied by TV cameras already.

When complaints aired to some Customs personnel present went unheeded, the APC members decided to just walk out of the event.

The APC members are in-house media meaning, they cover the airport beat on a regular basis.