Philippine president-elect Must Commit to Protecting Media Freedom
May 20, 2022
The presumptive president-elect of the Philippines as a result of the May 9 election
must ensure the protection of media freedom in the country. Media freedom is
important to fulfill the right to information for the public, which is one of the keys to
democracy.
Philippine media was restricted and regulated during the reign of dictator Ferdinand
Marcos. Although restored by the 1986 ouster of Marcos, media freedom has
deteriorated and the Philippines leadership of Rodrigo Duterte has seen increased
attacks on journalists and independent media.
The Philippines has declined on the World Press Freedom Index in the last five years.
Using new metrics to measure press freedom in its 2022 index, Reporters Without
Borders ranked the Philippines 147th, the third lowest in Southeast Asia.
The guarantee of media freedom must be implemented by enacting press freedom
laws, establishing independent media councils, decriminalizing defamation, ending
censorship and bans on the media, and stopping lawsuits. In addition, the Philippine
government must stop the practice of impunity by committing to uncover and
prosecute the perpetrators of attacks against journalists and media, both physically
and digitally. Perpetuating impunity will result in a prolonged cycle of violence.
We also urge the governments of Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia, which will hold
elections in 2023 and 2024, to also commit to guaranteeing media freedom, including
the safety of journalists performing their duties.
Independent and fair elections are not only about freedom of choice and knowledge of
how to vote. But also about a participatory process in which voters engage in public
debate and have adequate information about parties, policies, candidates and the
electoral process itself. Therefore, the public needs credible information before
making their choice. In addition, the media acts to oversee the course of elections and
maintain a transparent process. Thus, democratic elections should not ignore media
freedom.
Signed by:
Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) I Center for Independent Journalism (CIJ) I The
Movement of Independent Media / Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) I Freedom Film
Network (FFN) I National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) I Cambodian
Journalists Alliance Association (CamboJA) I Association of Journalists of Timor Leste (AJTL)
