Supreme Court Orders Live Webcast of Maguindanao Trial

The trial of the Ampatuans will be available live online. This after the Supreme Court ordered that a live video webcast of the Maguindanao Massacre trial be made available to allow viewers access to the proceedings, and without interruption. The Supreme has earlier ordered the live broadcast of the Maguindano trial through television and radio. By making it available through live streaming, Pinoys worldwide will also have access to the Philippines’ trial of the century.

Chief Justice Renato Corona has ordered the Supreme Court Public Information Office (PIO) to provide a live video webcast of the Maguindanao massacre trial immediately. Supreme Court PIO chief and Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez is now restructuring the website in order to accomplish the technical requirements to comply with the chief justice’s order.

“Hopefully, with the live webcast, the objections regarding no commercial breaks or gaps, and continuous broadcast of entire proceedings, will be addressed,” Marquez said.

Marquez was referring to protests from TV and radio stations over the ‘no commercial breaks or gaps’ condition of the Court ordered broadcast. One of the guidelines stipulated by the Supreme Court include the live airing of Maguindanao trial minus commercial breaks or gaps “until the court’s proceedings are adjourned, except during the period of recess called by the trial court and during portions of the proceedings wherein the public is ordered excluded.”

Posted below are the other guidelines of the live broadcast as ordered by the Court:

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; The SC Public Information Office and the Office of the Court Administrator shall coordinate and assist the trial court on the physical set-up of the camera and equipment;

4. The transmittal of the AVR from inside the courtroom to the media entities shall be conducted in such a way that the least physical disturbance shall be ensured;

5. The broadcasting of the proceedings for a particular day must be continuous and in its entirety;

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;

8. The original AVR shall be deposited in the National Museum and the Records Management and Archives Office for preservation and exhibition; and

9. The AVR of the proceedings shall be made under the supervision and control of the trial court.

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