What should have been an opportunity for the Bureau of Customs to inform the public of its activities ended up in a walkout by journalists who were allegedly disappointed at the "unsatisfactory" way they were treated.
The journalists covering the airport beat were supposed to attend the launching of the BOC's e-Travel System at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 last Tuesday, November 21.
Members of the Airport Press Club (APC) expressed their dissatisfaction with the event organizers because, despite their invitation, the journalists were not given a suitable location to be able to see and document the entire proceedings.
According to the APC members, they arrived half an hour early for the event which was supposed to start at 4 p.m. according to the invitation, but they were also made to wait for about an hour.
The media, both in-house and non-in-house, were relegated to the back or segregated from the section where the speeches and video presentation took place.
A couple of burly Customs personnel were even posted at the space allotted for the guests' entry, to prevent any media member from attempting to enter.
During the course of the event, the media personnel faced significant challenges when attempting to capture images or videos.
This was primarily due to the guests within the restricted area standing and using their own cameras, consequently obstructing the sole open space that had already been occupied by TV cameras.
Those who were placed elsewhere outside the cordon were unable to take photographs or even watch the video presentation, as the guests' heads obstructed their view.
Due to the lack of response received from the organizers, the APC members opted to leave the event.
The Bureau of Customs has yet to issue a statement regarding the complaints of media members.
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