SC mulls live webcast of Maguindanao massacre trial

MANILA, Philippines – In an effort to address complaints from broadcast media against the strict guidelines for the live coverage of the Maguindanao massacre trial, the Supreme Court (SC) is planning to host a live webcast of the proceedings via its website.

Chief Justice Renato Corona has ordered the SC’s public information office to provide live video webcast using computers, mobile internet devices, including cellular phones.

For his part, Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez said he is now reconstructing the SC's website and acquiring technical requirements to comply with Corona's directive.

“I am meeting with the technical staff this afternoon so that we could immediately comply with the instructions of the Chief Justice. Hopefully, with the live webcast, the objections regarding no commercial breaks or gaps, and continuous broadcast of entire proceedings, will be addressed,” Marquez said.

He said that they are planning to conduct a test webcast next week.

Last June 14, the High Court unanimously voted to allow the live broadcast of the Maguindanao massacre trial as long as media organizations comply with the guidelines.

However, media organizations complained that the guidelines that came with the rule were too strict, making the live coverage almost impossible. Among the guidelines being protested by the media, particularly those in the broadcast industry are the banning of commercials or TV ads and commentaries during the hearing’s airing.

The regulations are the following:

(1) an audio-visual recording of the Maguindanao massacre cases may be made both for documentary purposes and for transmittal to live broadcast broadcasting;

(2) media entities must file with the trial court a letter of application, manifesting that they intend to broadcast the audio-visual recording (AVR) of the proceedings; no selective or partial coverage shall be allowed and no media entity shall be allowed to broadcast the proceedings without an application duly approved by the trial court;

(3) a single fixed compact camera shall be installed inconspicuously inside the courtroom to provide a single wide-angle full-view of the sala of the trial court; no panning and zooming shall be allowed to avoid unduly highlighting or downplaying incidents in the proceedings;

(4) the broadcasting of the proceedings for a particular day must be continuous and in its entirety;

(5) no commercial break or any other gap shall be allowed until the day’s proceedings are adjourned, except during the period of recess call by the trial court and during portions of the proceedings wherein the public is ordered excluded;

(6) the proceedings shall be broadcast without any voice-overs, except brief annotations of scenes depicted therein as may be necessary to explain them at the start or at the end of the scene;

(7) no repeat airing of the AVR shall be allowed until after the finality of judgment, except brief footages and still images derived from or cartographic sketches of scenes based on the recording, only for news purposes, which shall likewise observe the sub judice rule and be subject to the contempt power of the court.