As the Philippines continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, journalists brave through the threats of the virus to give the public life-saving information.
In providing Filipinos with essential updates on the pandemic, journalists serve as our frontliners who help ensure that we make informed decisions to combat this novel and unseen enemy.
Despite this, journalists continue to face rising risks for their lives. Their transition to digital media made them easier targets of online harassment, trolling, and even red-tagging. It is a sad reality that we’ve become too accustomed to these.
Journalists and media practitioners not only bear the burden of covering stories under these dangerous circumstances but are also hanging by a thread. They also struggle against the declining trust of the public, especially when their reportage is highly frowned upon by the government.
These attacks have been present for the longest time, right off the bat manifesting with Maria Ressa’s cyberlibel conviction last year. Ressa, the face of conviction, also had to endure numerous rape and death threats online for doing her job as a journalist; several of which taint her professional credibility and personal character.
Just yesterday, long-time member of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Cris Heredia, was shot upon boarding his vehicle.
Formed in 1986, NUJP has become a safeguard in advancing the democratic interests of a free press. Even so, the organization has been targeted numerous times, having its members both red-tagged, and worse, killed amid their goal to advocate for the freedom of the press.
The constant threat does not stop here. It also trickles down to community journalists such as Frenchiemae Cumpio, who has been detained for 14 months over trumped-up charges. Cumpio’s arrest has been listed as one of the 10 most urgent cases of journalists under threat by One Free Press Coalition.
In the online sphere, advocating for human rights has been mistakenly associated with insurgency. With journalists’ commitment to human rights, they themselves become prime targets of red-tagging.
According to a report by the United Nations Human Rights (UNHR) Office of the High Commissioner, red-tagging has posed “a serious threat to civil society and freedom of expression.” The report emphasized that “the space for debate, disagreement and for challenging state policies” has been blurred.
In 2021, the Philippines slipped down to the 138th rank out of 180 in the Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) World Press Freedom Index. The Philippines continues to face a severe blow when it comes to its press freedom as the media’s critical voices are met with threats and unfounded red-tagging accusations.
This World Press Freedom Day, the UP Journalism Club calls on the public to help preserve our democratic institutions by protecting journalists, especially those who have become recent victims of red-tagging. Journalists and other media practitioners should not have to risk their lives to tell the truths we all need to know.
Hear it from their closest friends to share how much press freedom goes beyond the calls that media practitioners amplify. It’s their guarantee to continue the work that they bravely do.
