The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) warned on May 3 that a “climate of impunity” continues to endanger journalists, citing killings, red-tagging and legal harassment linked to state actors as key threats to media freedom.
Marking World Press Freedom Day, the group reported 242 violations against media workers under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with 43 percent allegedly involving government and security forces.
“The climate of impunity remains, and so, no amount of safety measures would be enough to protect ourselves from harm,” the NUJP said.
The group said 10 journalists have been killed, with perpetrators still not held accountable, and pointed to cases such as community journalist RJ Ledesma, whom it said was falsely labeled a combatant, and Frenchie Mae Cumpio, who “remains behind bars over trumped-up charges of financing terrorism.”
Red-tagging also persists, with 39 incidents recorded since 2016, according to the NUJP, which criticized the continued existence of the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) despite calls for its abolition.
Beyond physical threats, the NUJP cited libel and the Data Privacy Act as tools used to intimidate journalists, alongside surveillance, cyberattacks, and restricted access to information.
“The attacks do not happen in a vacuum. Those in power want the truth to be hidden, obfuscated or distorted for their selfish interests,” the group said.
The NUJP urged the government to act on recommendations from United Nations Special Rapporteur Irene Khan, including ending media killings, decriminalizing libel, stopping red-tagging and passing a Freedom of Information law, while calling on the public to support press freedom.
