On the eve of Manila Today’s decade-long fulfilment of its mandate to tell the true stories of the people, we reiterate our call to wage a worthwhile struggle against forces that attempt to silence community journalists and mediaworks in pursuing their commitment in upholding a vigilant press for the people.
Manila Today condemns the recent incident of harassment by some individuals and elements of the state against our news editor, Roy Barbosa, and his colleagues during the live coverage of the filing of motion to dismiss by embattled labor organizers Ed Cubelo and Rodrigo Esparago in Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 12.
Barbosa was accosted, threatened, and harassed by an individual claiming to be a ‘vlogger’ while he was covering the event. Although he was safely ushered out of the location where the harassment occurred, his colleagues were intercepted by the individual along with several policemen. They were threatened with charges if they did not divulge Barbosa’s whereabouts.
Barbosa has also been receiving unwanted messages accusing him of being a member of the New People’s Army, following his report on the case involving Ed and Rod. This red-tagging and baseless accusation only add to the ongoing trend of harassment and intimidation by state forces against journalists who are merely doing their work. This raises grave concerns about the safety of media workers and questions the integrity of the Marcos Jr. administration’s proclamations regarding its commitment to ensuring the welfare of journalists.
The message is clear: every time the media attempts to report on justice and hold those accountable for the many injustices happening in our country such as union busting, illegal demolitions, forced disappearances, illegal detentions, and arrests of activists and other progressive individuals, journalists are harassed and intimidated.
For the state to impose media censorship through harassment and threats demonstrates their insincerity towards community journalists and members of the alternative media. Their aim is to create a culture of self-censorship that exerts a chilling effect on the press, pressuring journalists to conform to the standards set by the Marcos Jr. administration or risk being labeled as terrorists or communists for reporting the reality and struggles of the common people.
Manila Today prides itself on reporting accurate and truthful accounts of the Filipino people’s struggles. The news coverage that Barbosa and his colleagues were involved in highlights the reality of the justice system in the country. Cubelo and Esparago are long-time champions of the labor movement in Metro Manila. They are well-known in the unions and communities they serve as genuine leaders advocating for workers’ welfare.
For Barbosa and the entire Manila Today team to be vilified and red-tagged simply for covering news about progressive groups and these individuals underscores the abhorrent mistreatment by the Marcos Jr. administration towards community journalists. This pathetic attempt to silence and muzzle the press reveals an insecure state that fears media workers committed to their mandate. This is not a state that fully supports freedom of expression. Rather, it is a state that opposes truth-tellers and journalists daring to expose the true reality of the country.
We therefore challenge the Marcos Jr. administration to fully commit to its proclamations regarding the welfare of media workers. If the administration genuinely promotes and protects freedom of expression and respects the integrity of media freedom and democracy, it must be at the forefront of halting the senseless and harmful red-tagging perpetrated by state forces against journalists. It must also recognize the necessity of abolishing the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), the primary red-tagging machine orchestrated by the state against civilians, activists, and even members of the press.
For the state to truly recognize the importance of media freedom and democracy in the country, it must respect alternative views and dissenting opinions by creating programs to safeguard media workers. Only then can we say that freedom of expression is protected and respected. Only then can we say that the state is committed to its mandate to protect the people’s constitutional right to know the true reality of Philippine society.
