The state of press freedom in the Philippines has once again come under intense scrutiny as the country ranked 8th among the worst countries for prosecuting the killers of journalists according to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) 2023 Global Impunity Index, reflecting a dire situation for media workers in the nation.
Along with Somalia, Iraq, Mexico, Pakistan and India, the Philippines has appeared on the index every year since CPJ first started compiling data in 2008. Accordingly, this revelation underscored the persistent nature of impunity and violence that journalists face in various countries, hence the urgent need for the protection of media practitioners.
“The reasons for these countries’ failure to prosecute journalists’ killers range from conflict to corruption, insurgency to inadequate law enforcement, and lack of political interest in punishing those willing to kill independent journalists. These states include democracies and autocracies, nations in turmoil and those with stable governments. Some are emerging from years of war, but a slowdown of hostilities has not ended their persecution of journalists. And as impunity becomes entrenched, it signals an indifference likely to embolden future killers and shrink independent reporting as alarmed journalists either flee their countries, dial back on their reporting, or leave the profession entirely,” said CPJ in the report.
The Philippines once dubbed as the freest press in Asia has been grappling with issues surrounding press freedom for years. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) recorded more than 200 journalists killed since 1986 with most cases remaining unsolved.
PH remains a dangerous workplace for media workers
The spate of red-tagging, harassment and killings especially for radio journalists has been observed since the two-year ruling of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of the former dictator.
CPJ noted that a culture of self-censorship persists while Marcos Jr.’s change in tone of a “more conciliatory approach towards media’ has not yet been accompanied by substantive actions following the dire media situation under the Duterte administration.
Radio broadcast journalists Percival Mabasa, Renato Blanco, Cris Bunduquin, and Mohammad Hessam Midtimbang have been murdered in connection with their work. Journalist Federico Gempesaw was not part of the list since he was murdered a day before Marcos Jr. took office in June 2022.
Advocates and colleagues in the media stressed that the lack of accountability for the killings sends a chilling message to journalists and media outlets especially when reporting stories deemed critical to the government.
One story to note is that while Percival’s suspected gunman has been arrested, the masterminds behind his murder including former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag and Ricardo Zulueta are still on the run according to reports.
“Percy’s killing sent a message. It’s a wake-up call to be vigilant about those in power,” said Roy Mabasa, Percival’s younger brother who is also a journalist.
Meanwhile, it has been more than three years since the arrest of Frenchie Mae Cumpio of Eastern Vista via raid operations in Tacloban City. She was charged with firearms and explosives charges, a similar allegation to arrested journalists Lady Ann Salem of Manila Today and Anne Krueger of Paghimutad under the Duterte administration who may be freed but still face legal battles related to their case up to this day.
NUJP noted that these journalists including their media outfits have since been red-tagged and subjected to intense surveillance prior to the arrest. Press freedom advocates even said that the dangers of red-tagging are seen as a prelude to arrest, worse to killings.
“Since the Duterte administration, there have been attempts to convince colleagues to disaffiliate from groups like the NUJP and outright attempts to paint the independent and alternative press as enemies of the state. While these attempts have been toned down under the new administration, they have continued. Attempts to organize within our ranks — and among citizens in general — are viewed with suspicion, if not vilified outright,” said NUJP in their statement for World Press Freedom Day.
With the shrinking democratic spaces, media fights back
On October 21, freelance media workers from Metro Manila launched the Filipino Freelance Journalists’ Guild (FFJ) dedicated to upholding professional rights among freelance journalists in the Philippines
The establishment of FFJ is the culmination of research, advocacy, and organising of NUJP in response to the emergence of ‘gig economy’ and contractualization among media workers since 2021.
“It cannot be denied that the unconventional nature of this new economy has given Filipinos more options and opportunities in making a living. But it also comes with its own set of problems—delayed or nonpayment of fees, zero social protections, and exploitation due to contract-less transactions—which only lead to an overall culture of exploitation,” said NUJP in the research.
According to NUJP’s research, it has found that most freelancers are not given adequate compensation or professional protections with just under 50% receiving less than the monthly minimum wage for their media work, with 96% of freelances needing to take on additional work.
“The NUJP is proud to have helped organize the guild and looks forward to supporting them and working with them towards a safer, more free and better-compensated media landscape,” NUJP added.
