RSF urges Philippines Congress to enact press freedom reforms News
Ramon FVelasquez, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
RSF urges Philippines Congress to enact press freedom reforms

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urged Philippine lawmakers on Tuesday to undertake reforms to address the precarious situation for journalism in the country. Despite improvements to the freedom of the press in past years, the country still ranks poorly at 116th out of 180 countries tracked by RSF.

In its statement, RSF noted that economic fragility, particularly when news media feels financially strained, has been and will continue to be a leading threat to freedom of the press. RSF editorial director Anne Bocandé said that the media’s “financial independence is a necessary condition for ensuring free, trustworthy information that serves the public interest.”

In addition, “red-tagging” continues to be prevalent in the Philippines, a practice wherein those investigating sensitive and controversial issues are labelled as “subversives” and “terrorists.” Over 200 journalists have been killed since 1987, many of them having worked for radio. Female journalists remain in particular danger, facing sexual harassment, physical and online intimidation, and abuse. One investigative journalist, Frenchie Mae Cumpio, who promotes the stories of marginalized people in the Philippines, has been imprisoned for over five years.

The RSF director for the Asia-Pacific bureau called out the new administration for having failed to make crucial changes, stating that “President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration has failed to effectively address the systemic threats that journalists face. The new Congress term is a crucial opportunity to initiate the badly-needed reforms.”

Earlier this month, Philippine President “Bongbong” Marcos and his administration stated their intention to prioritize bills aimed at increasing transparency, fighting fake news, and improving the economy. The country’s tumultuous political landscape will likely prove crucial to the future of journalism in the Philippines, especially as former President Duterte was recently surrendered to the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.

To ensure press freedom, RSF has promulgated five recommendations to the newly elected members of the Philippine Congress: (1) Amend anti-terrorism laws to end red-tagging, (2) Reform the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) to improve the safety of journalists and end impunity for crimes committed against them, (3) Adopt regulations against disinformation, (4) Support the development of independent and ethical news outlets through economic and fiscal incentives, and (5) Integrate critical thinking and media education into school curricula and public awareness campaigns to strengthen media and digital literacy. 

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