Palace Wants NET 25 Reporter Out — Malacañang Press Corps Fights Back

Even before the formal letter from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) was sent, NET 25 reporter Eden Santos had already been under mounting pressure due to her tough and unflinching questions during Malacañang press briefings.According to insiders, the PCO had grown increasingly uneasy with Santos’ reporting style. So much so that officials allegedly instructed Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) not to focus the camera on her whenever she raised questions during live coverage.

The situation escalated when the PCO reportedly sent a formal request to NET 25, asking the network to remove Santos from the Palace beat. The reason? An alleged violation of coverage protocols during a recent event in Tarlac.

But the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) isn't letting the move go unchallenged. The group quickly pushed back, calling the PCO’s request an overreach. They emphasized that any disciplinary action over a supposed protocol breach should come from the reporter’s media organization—not a government office.

To reinforce their stance, RTVM released footage of the Tarlac e.vent in question, which showed no apparent wrongdoing. In the video, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is seen voluntarily approaching the media after overseeing the destruction of a large volume of illegal drugs—undermining claims that protocol was violated.

The MPC has since written to PCO Secretary Jay Ruiz, formally opposing the effort to have Santos removed and defending her right to continue reporting from the Palace.

With mounting support from fellow journalists and growing public attention, the standoff between the press and Palace officials is only heating up.