On 30 August, as the country marked National Press Freedom Day in honor of Marcelo H. Del Pilar, the Council for People’s Development and Governance (CPDG) joins journalists, media workers, and civil society in reaffirming the importance of a free and independent press.
But this commemoration must not be reduced to empty rhetoric. Despite government pronouncements that protection for media workers has been strengthened, the reality on the ground continues to reveal a climate of repression, harassment, and criminalization of journalists who dare to speak truth to power.
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS), in its recent statement, painted a picture of progress—highlighting a year without media killings and boasting of programs such as the Media Vanguards and partnerships with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the Public Attorney’s Office. While these initiatives are presented as “groundbreaking,” they gloss over the continuing persecution of independent media. The claim of “tangible improvements” cannot erase the fact that journalists remain surveilled, red-tagged, slapped with fabricated charges, and detained under dubious circumstances.
The case of Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a young journalist from Tacloban and executive director of Eastern Vista, stands as one of the clearest examples. Arrested in February 2020, she continues to face cases of alleged terrorism financing and illegal possession of firearms—charges widely criticized by human rights and press freedom advocates as fabricated to silence her reporting. Her prolonged detention, now over five years, reflects how the Anti-Terrorism Act and related counterterrorism financing measures are being weaponized against critical voices.
UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression Irene Khan, in her final report to the UN Human Rights Council, has urged the Philippine government to “promptly release Ms. Cumpio” and dismiss the charges against her as manifestly unfounded. Khan also called for the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), which has institutionalized red-tagging and threats against journalists and civil society.
Independent media agencies such as Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly have faced relentless harassment precisely for daring to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and uphold grassroots journalism. In June 2022, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), acting on a request from the National Security Council, ordered telecommunications providers to block access to the websites of Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly, branding them as “affiliated to and… supporting terrorist organizations” without due process or evidence. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) decried this move as “a new attack on the independent media” and condemned the red-tagging behind it as a censorship disguised as security policy.
Moreover, these alternative outlets have been targeted by cyberattacks traced to state-linked entities. For instance, Qurium Media Foundation found that Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on Bulatlat and Altermidya originated from the IP infrastructure of the Department of Science and Technology, and the Philippine military. These coordinated actions—ranging from website blocking to digital sabotage—demonstrate deliberate attempts to suppress independent reporting through securitized censorship.
The Philippines’ reputation as one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists underscores this reality. According to RSF, the country remains among the deadliest places for media workers in the Asia-Pacific, with 147 journalists murdered since 1986. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has consistently ranked the Philippines in its Global Impunity Index, placing the nation eighth in 2023 and listing it every year since the index was launched. Even UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan recently warned that the Philippines “remains a dangerous country for journalists” given continuing impunity and red-tagging.
This pattern of violence and intimidation did not end with the Duterte administration. At least 23 journalists were killed during Duterte’s presidency, and under Ferdinand Marcos Jr., at least four more have been killed since 2022—continuing the climate of fear for reporters and broadcasters. These deaths are not aberrations; they reflect entrenched impunity and the state’s failure to protect its citizens’ fundamental right to information.
Against this backdrop, CPDG stresses that the state’s narratives of “progress” ring hollow. Partnerships between PTFOMS and CHR, while laudable in theory, risk being token gestures if the government continues to tolerate red-tagging, fabricated charges, and the criminalization of independent journalism. Honoring Marcelo H. Del Pilar’s legacy requires more than ceremonial statements—it demands dismantling the structures of impunity and repression that endanger both media freedom and civic space.
“The attacks on journalists are inseparable from the broader shrinking civic space in the Philippines. Civil society organizations (CSOs), people’s movements, and grassroots advocates have all been subject to the same tactics: red-tagging, arbitrary arrests, surveillance, and the misuse of counterterrorism and financing regulations to curtail legitimate dissent,” says Rochelle Porras, CPDG Vice President.
As a national alliance of people’s organizations and NGOs, CPDG has long documented how these repressive policies undermine democratic governance and people-centered development. “Press freedom cannot flourish when civic space is systematically closed, and civic space cannot be defended without a truly independent and fearless press,” adds Porras.
On National Press Freedom Day, CPDG stands with Filipino journalists, independent media, and civil society groups in demanding genuine accountability, the repeal of laws that criminalizes dissent, and an end to the culture of impunity.
“The struggle for press freedom is inseparable from the struggle of people’s rights and democracy. Only when critical voices are free to report without fear can we hope to build a just and genuinely democratic society,” stresses Porras.
CPDG therefore call on the Marcos Jr. administration to immediately end red-tagging and fabricated prosecutions of journalists, release Frenchie Mae Cumpio and other wrongfully detained media workers, and ensure full protection for press freedom.
We challenge the PTFOMS to support the recommendations of UN SR Irene Khan including the dismantling of the NTF-ELCAC.
We urge the CHR to actively investigate and hold state institutions accountable, and we call on the international community to continue monitoring, condemning, and pressuring the Philippine government until these violations end.
“Press freedom is not negotiable—it is a cornerstone of democracy, and it must be defended with urgency and resolve,” ends Porras.#