Press Freedom Protection Archives | Page 16 of 76

SEC Revokes Rappler’s Incorporation Paper Months after Duterte’s Threat of Investigation

CMFR/PHILIPPINES — Months after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to investigate Rappler’s ownership, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revoked the incorporation paper of the online news organization for allegedly violating the Constitution and the Anti-Dummy Law. The SEC order signed 11 January 2018 said that Rappler violated the...

Davao Radio Broadcaster Threatened, Accused of Being Pro-Communist

CMFR/PHILIPPINES – A Davao City-based radio broadcaster received text messages that threatened her life. She reported that she was “accused of being pro-communist,” shortly after she criticized the recent pre-debut photo shoot of President Duterte’s granddaughter, Isabelle Duterte, in Malacanang. Kathyrine “Kath” Cortez of Radyo ni Juan Network-Davao...

Another Journalist Receives Death Threat

CMFR/PHILIPPINES – A journalist covering the judiciary for a national broadsheet received a death threat via SMS from an unknown source on 1 December 2017. The Manila Times reporter Jomar Canlas reported receiving a two identical text messages threatening to kill him. The message read: “P***** mo jomar...

Tabloid Columnist Accuses PTFoMS Director of Sending Death Threats; Task Force Director Denies Allegation

CMFR/PHILIPPINES – A tabloid columnist reported receiving death threats allegedly from the executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) after his articles criticizing the performance of the task force appeared in his paper. The executive director denied the accusation. Mat Vicencio, a columnist for...

LIBEL WATCH: Journalist Held by Police, Another Charged, One Case Dismissed

CMFR/Philippines – Several journalists faced libel challenges in November. One broadcaster accused of libel was held by the police, while a libel complaint was filed against another, an online reporter. A libel charge against the executives of a media organization was dismissed. Libel is still a criminal offense...

The Media and the Duterte Presidency: Impunity Acute and Benign, Fettered Flow of information

by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism THE PRESS in the Philippines has been described to be among the freest in Asia if not in the world, robust, almost rambunctious in...

Radio Broadcaster Shot Dead in Surigao del Sur

CMFR/PHILIPPINES – Unidentified men shot and killed a local radio broadcaster and injured his partner Tuesday night, 24 October 2017 in Bislig, Surigao del Sur. Surigao del Sur is 1298 kilometers south of Manila. According to the police spot report, Christopher Iban Lozada, operations manager and anchor of...

A Step Backward in the Campaign to End Impunity

AS THE world observes International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2, the press community in the Philippines carves out a more extended period to recall the shame and scandal of the violence against journalists in the country. On November 23, the 8th anniversary...

Vice Mayor of Surigao del Norte Town Assaults Newspaper Editor

THE VICE mayor of Dapa in Surigao del Norte physically attacked a community newspaper editor in the town of Pilar on September 23. Surigao del Norte is 1,155 kilometers south of Manila. Edito Mapayo, editor in chief of Diaryo Balita, was covering an event by the Department of...

Online Threats against Journalists Continue: TV Reporter Receives Hateful Threat

CMFR/PHILIPPINES – A GMA News reporter received a malicious threat online on September 19 after covering Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s trip to Singapore in an effort to counter President Rodrigo Duterte’s allegation that the senator kept offshore bank accounts. The case was among the many online threats against...