Senators to continue live feeds of sessions despite blow-back online

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — During Friday’s regular Senate session, Senator Togiola Tulafono expressed concerns about what he described as “censorship,” following the omission of a part of the segment from the Wednesday session as instructed by a Senior Staff member of the Senate.

Togiola said that recently, the Senate President, Tuaolo Manaia Fruean, expressed concerns regarding the criticism directed at lawmakers on social media, which included personal attacks. A debate arose over whether to continue live-streaming Senate sessions. 

After consulting with Senators, they decided to maintain the live streams to promote transparency and keep the public informed about the proceedings at the fono. Regardless of the feedback — positive or negative — they committed to streaming their regular sessions and informing the public about the laws being discussed.

He said that on Thursday, someone approached him with questions about why part of a segment from the previous day’s session had been removed. Togiola insisted that everything is broadcast live for transparency purposes. However, the young man was convinced that comments made by the Speaker had been taken down. Upon returning to the Senate, Togiola investigated the matter and found that the young man's concerns were indeed valid; certain parts of the segment from the Wednesday, September 10, 2025, session had been redacted.

Togiola stated that after consulting with the Senate Legal Counsel, it was confirmed that the Legislative Financial Officer had issued a directive to remove a part of the session.

“How can the LFO instruct the removal of segments? Is that even within his responsibilities?” Togiola asked.

“To be honest, this is painful. What authority does the LFO have to remove segments from the live sessions of the Senate?” Togiola continued.

“The only individuals with that authority are the President and the Vice President. This is a serious disrespect to the Senate. It is simply not right. We just deliberated on this issue, and the Senate President emphasized the importance of transparency.”

Togiola then appealed to the Vice President, Magalei Logovi’i Magalei, who was leading the regular session on Friday. 

“This is not right. When a Senate employee decides what to publicize and what not to publicize, it disrespects the Senate,” he said. 

Furthermore, Togiola remarked that this situation appears to be an act of "censorship," stating, “Only communist countries engage in this behavior. Censorship is a way for any communist leader to hide shady actions and only share what the country wants the public to hear. 

“We are not here to entertain the public; we are here to work and serve our people. Regardless of whether the information is good or bad, we must do what is right for our constituents,” he emphasized.

Togiola once again expressed his strong disapproval of the decision to redact the segment of the session, emphasizing the importance of transparency and accountability. He urged Senate leaders to take this matter seriously and to investigate it thoroughly, calling for prompt action to rectify the situation.

Vice President of the Senate Magalei instructed Senate Legal Counsel Mitzie Jessop-Ta’ase and Fiafia Sunia to appear before the Fono and explain what had occurred.

“No individual possesses the authority to alter or remove any segment of their live streaming session. I hold the responsibility for overseeing the Senate House Rules, and as the sole authority and President, I am empowered to make all such decisions regarding the integrity of our sessions,” said Magalei.

Following the session, Magalei spoke with the media, shedding light on recent developments. He revealed that they had already consulted with the lawyer, who confirmed an intriguing request had emerged from one of the lawmakers: the removal of the controversial comments made by the Speaker of the House.

This situation has sparked discussions about accountability and the influence of legislative powers.