President Marcos Jr. pledged to uphold press freedom. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, however, recorded 84 incidents of attacks on the media from June 30, 2022 until July 22, 2023. This number is 42 percent higher compared to the documented cases during Duterte’s first 13 months in office.
“It is an insult to the intelligence and independence of the presiding Judge, and the entire judicial system for that matter.”
For nearly two decades, Len has been part of Bulatlat from her days as a contributor to becoming the managing editor of one of the country’s longest-running online news. She is a champion of human rights reporting, media workers’ welfare, and journalists’ safety.
We condemn the Philippine Army for carrying out cyber crimes against independent media outfits. We take offense at the duplicity they have shown regarding this incident – publicly professing respect for press freedom but launching vicious digital attacks, and never cooperating with other government agencies.
The conference aims to deepen the discourse about the martial law years and correct the twisted narratives being perpetrated by groups who want Filipinos to forget those dark years in the nation’s history.
While we all agree that the fight against terrorism is important and needs the participation and cooperation of everyone, we maintain that the proposed law is open to abuse by despotic governments to visit terror against critics and the people in general.
Local government executives should keep in mind that that the current national emergency does not empower officials to silence dissent and curtail press freedom, both of which are essential to a functional democracy in which elected officials are duty-bound to defend the Constitution.
While we acknowledge the need to fight disinformation in this time of crisis, we fear the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act will only end up criminalizing free speech. We assert that the best way to fight disinformation is through education and the truth.
Like other human rights defenders, journalists writing about human rights have been treated as targets by those who have no respect for life and liberties of the Filipino people.
Marking the anniversary of the first ever internet connection in the Philippines, alternative media outifts are fighting back as they filed a civil complaint for damages against two companies found by experts to be the source of the relentless cyber-attacks against their websites. “This is definitely a first and it will serve as a testament…
These are attempts by those in power to drown out the voice of the marginalized and the oppressed, displaying Duterte’s fear of committed journalism that seeks to inform, educate and guide the public in decision-making.