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“As a journalist, you have to try to balance between your freedom to publish a story or minimizing harm to an already vulnerable subject.”
In 2019, the country ranked 134th out of 180 countries, and fell two places in 2020 at 136th. This year, the Philippines’ ranked 138th and was classified by the RSF as one of the world’s deadliest countries for journalists and bloggers.
Ronalyn Olea takes over Dabet Castaneda-Panelo as NUJP secretary general.
“Not only is it an underhanded threat against Judge Quisumbing-Ignacio, it also seeks to undermine the independence of all judges and the courts handling similar cases.”
Exactly a week since the "Bloody Sunday," our Southern Tagalog correspondent Justin Umali sits down for a huntahan to discuss the context behind the series of police operations that killed nine, and arrested three.
Journalist Lady Ann Salem thanked Judge Monique Quisumbing-Ignacio for “seeing the truth behind the fabricated charges” and all those who supported the campaign for her release.
The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) denounced the attack, describing the threats as "an utter insanity and a cheap action to silence campus journalists."
"Conventional wisdom and education taught us about “balance” and “objectivity” and even “neutrality”. These do not always translate to fairness and sometimes can mask the context and nuances of events amid deadlines."
“Not only does it violate basic civil rights by arbitrarily judging people sans due process, it also poses a real danger to life and limb given the trail of bodies tokhang has left in the drug war.”
The case filed by a barangay chair in Nueva Ecija against a local community radio station over an alleged violation of Republic Act 11469 or the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act” has been dismissed due to lack of evidence.
Media groups reiterated their demand for the immediate release of Filipino journalist Lady Ann Salem as she remains behind bars more than a week since a Mandaluyong court dismissed the charges against her.
Lawyers of journalist Lady Ann Salem and labor organizer Rodrigo Esparago asserted that the court's decision dismissing the charges against the two is final and executory, thus, their clients should be released immediately.
“Perhaps it is not too late for the members of the House of Representatives to salvage their reputations, to prove that they are what the Constitution charges them to be, members of a co-equal and independent branch of government, and no longer the willing accomplices to the continuing siege on press freedom and all our other rights and liberties.”
“The ordeal of Frenchie Mae is part of the increasing persecution of the critical media by the forces of a government so intolerant of criticism and dissent that the mere exercise of democratic rights is enough for one to be branded an "enemy of the state."
But the Philippine media are not called "independent" for nothing. We come from a long tradition of journalists and news organizations who have fiercely resisted any attempts to silence them or force them into conformity.
Judge Monique Quisumbing-Ignacio of Branch 209, in a 10-page decision dated Feb. 5, declared that the search warrant used to enter Salem's Mandaluyong home is null and void, rendering the firearms and explosives purportedly found in their possession as inadmissible evidence before the court.
“Had Parlade also done his research and listened to the oral arguments, he would have known that posts like these are what petitioners claim as evidence of a credible threat of prosecution – threat that can warrant a judicial review of the law he seeks to protect and promote.”
“While there has been no offered evidence of any such links, Philippine officials’ increasing penchant for such “red-tagging” is reckless, irresponsible, and dangerous. When amplified by no less than the highest ranking enforcers of government and the law they inevitably compromise any guarantees of due process.”
“Complainants have been targeted for their critical and independent reporting on issues affecting the marginalized and oppressed sectors. They are being persecuted for publishing progressive and alternative views on matters affecting the Filipino people — progressive ideas that are anathema to the current tyrannical regime.”
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