We will not surrender our freedomsToday, Independence Day, we renew our pledge to serve the people, to continue speaking truth to power, and to guard and defend freedom of the press and of expression from all threats.Read More Covering the PandemicRead more Covering the CoViD-19 Pandemic All the President’s Men: Independent or Rubber Stamp? UNRESOLVED IRREGULARITIES in the recent midterm elections did not stop the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from proclaiming the new senators last May 22. Nine out of the 12 are administration allies, including Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. who is facing graft charges, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who, as chief of... The Powerful and Popular Versus the Marginalized: The Party-list Poll Results THE PARTY-LIST system has been so corrupted that it has led to the political dynasties’ and their agents’ strengthening their hold on the House of Representatives. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed 51 winning party-lists in the recent midterm polls, filling 61 seats in the next Congress. Many groups... All Eyes on Comelec: Media on Election “Glitches” THE “GLITCHES” which marred the May 13 elections triggered public dismay, not just among those who supported the opposition, but also those who have held faith with the automation of the ballot. Most Filipinos did not expect the kind of procedural lapses which marred the experience of voters early... Defeat of Dynasties: A More Critical Look CHEERS TO ABS-CBN 2’s TV Patrol for a critical look into the defeat of some local dynasties. In a May 17 report, TV Patrol noted that political dynasties come and go and in most cases are only replaced by new ones. The newscast took off from the victories... Silent on Local Polls: TV Still Hot on the National Campaign Trail, Puff Pieces Still Dominate Print THE LOCAL campaign kickoff on March 29 helped increase election-related reports, but brought little improvement to the reportage on the campaign. Most of the reports on TV were still on the campaign sorties of the candidates for the Senate, with little focus on local elections and candidates across the... Limited Choices: Media on Unopposed Candidates CHEERS TO the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Rappler for reporting on the number of unopposed candidates for local posts, again shedding light on a phenomenon common during Philippine elections, which effectively perverts the democratic purpose of elections. The Inquirer reported on March 29 a total of 414 unopposed candidates,... All Aboard the Campaign Train: Nothing New, Hardly Relevant Coverage FEBRUARY 12, the official start of the 2019 campaign, pushed into high gear media’s coverage of the May 19 midterm elections. But there was little that actually helped the electorate to decide who best deserve their votes. Mid-term elections are a challenge. The absence of a presidential candidate seems... Media Warned About Spurious “Survey Results” ON MARCH 8, five Manila broadsheets –The Philippine Star, Manila Bulletin, Manila Standard, The Manila Times and Daily Tribune — reported that the senatorial candidate, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go had “surged” to the top three rank in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. None of the accounts said... Head Start Advantage: PCIJ Report Bares Pre-campaign Spending THE RACE officially started on February 12, but the contenders have been burning money on advertisements way earlier. After examining the pre-campaign ad spending of senatorial candidates for the May polls, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) found candidates whose spending exceeded their individually declared net worth. CMFR... Making Sense of Election Surveys ALTHOUGH SOME candidates have been campaigning since the fourth quarter of 2018, the election period only began officially this month, on January 13. In preparation for the midterm polls in May, security measures, including the setting up of checkpoints and the gun ban are in place. The official campaign... 12Next »
