THE College Editors Guild of the Philippines branded October as “Buwan ng Lagim” for truth and democracy after the series of attacks on press freedom during the month.
Based on the Guild’s monthly PF bulletin, a total of 13 press freedom violations were recorded in the field of professional and campus journalism.
The killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid last October 3 started the PF attacks. Six more related press freedom violations were reported eventually.
Just for speaking up about Lapid’s slay, TV5 journalists Lourd de Veyra and Ed Lingao received death threats on Twitter for speaking up on the Lapid murder case. Hataw reporter Rose Novenario also had a death threat on Facebook Messenger three days after.
Death threats and extortion attempts poured into Lapid’s family and friends as the investigation into his killing continued. This was aggravated by a smear campaign against them traced to supporters of Rodrigo Duterte, Vice President Sara Duterte, and Bureau of Corrections Director General Gerald Bantag.
Also in relation to Lapid’s slay, the Philippine National Police conducted surprise home visits on journalists that alarmed GMA journalist JP Soriano.
CEGP National Spokesperson Melanie Feranil said that this worsening spate of press freedom attacks after Lapid’s killing is proof that these are all systematically coordinated.
“It is a scary fact to admit that the ongoing campaign to attack media is well-organized. Nakakapangilabot, kita natin dito pa lang na iisa ang mga pwersa na nagtutulak sa mga asultong ito sa malayang pamamahayag,” said Feranil.
Apart from these, the Guild noted other cases of assault, cyberlibel, red-tagging, and threats against journalists.
Radio Mindanao Network Iloilo DYRI’s Flo Hervias was assaulted by four masked men after his broadcast on October 7. Three days later, Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr’s motion for reconsideration of their cyberlibel charges were rejected by the Court of Appeals. SMNI and their notorious redtaggers later on targeted journalists Ronalyn Olea, Atom Araullo, Inday Espina-Varona, and Vergel Santos. After a protest action, Northern Dispatch journalist Khim Abalos received a death threat from an unknown number.
Feranil argued that these can be traced back to Marcos Jr’s elusion and his predecessor Duterte’s impunity to the press.
“Marcos Jr. and Duterte imposed this terrifying culture on journalists to protect their tyrannic and fascist agenda. Ngayon, ang mga mamamahayag natin ang araw-araw na humaharap sa bingit ng kamatayan dahil lang pinipili nila na gawin ang responsibilidad nila sa bayan,” Feranil lamented.
She added that this culture of oppression transcended to the campus press, especially to those who have chosen to be critical.
In the Guild’s Second General Assembly, 30 student publications attested they have experienced the abovementioned attacks themselves. Most of them stated that the majority of these violations occurred during the election season and Marcos Jr’s subsequent electoral victory.
Campus journalists received death threats and red-tagging messages while their official publication accounts were trolled. These added to the usual administrative intervention issues, adviser meddling, and publication defunding.
“These are proof that a horrendous attack on one is also an attack on everyone. Kaya habang pinoprotektahan natin ang mga kasamahang propesyonal, dapat din nating lalong palakasin ang paninindigan ng campus press,” said Feranil.
According to Feranil, one way is to finally pass into law the long-overdue Campus Press Freedom Bill authored by Kabataan Partylist together with CEGP and its member publications. The measure, filed since the 16th Congress, seeks to address the loopholes of the outdated Campus Journalism Act of 1991.
The CEGP National Spokesperson vows that the Guild will continue to rouse the campus press to greater resistance against attacks this November, in time with the remembrance of the grim Ampatuan Massacre.
“The more they try to sow fear, the more we will be braver to face each attack. Susulong, susulat, maninindigan, at magmumulat tayo, ngayon, higit kailanman,” Feranil ended. (PR)
