Two journalists receive online threats

CMFR/Philippines — TV5 broadcasters Ed Lingao* and Lourd de Veyra received death threats online on 4 October 2022, a day after the murder of broadcaster Percy Lapid in Las Piñas. 

Lingao posted in Facebook on October 11 a screenshot of a malicious threat from Twitter user Seth Corteza ng Metrosun, who claimed that the former and De Veyra were the next targets after Lapid.

In a TV Patrol report, both Lingao and De Veyra said that whether the threat was deliberate or not, it should not be taken lightly given the recent attacks against media workers. Both journalists have been receiving death threats and hate speech in social media since 2016.

On October 12, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), in a statement, said it would look into the veracity of the online threat. The commission has also reached out to Lingao and De Veyra.  

CHR also urged the government to “address these violations and take proactive measures to stop these attacks.” The agency said “we look forward to their efforts to look into this matter and similar cases of media rights violations committed in the country. CHR hopes for genuine justice and the end of impunity.”

In the Philippines, 177 journalists have been killed since 1986. Only 17 cases, excluding those of the 32 killed in the Maguindanao massacre, have resulted in the conviction of the gunmen involved. 

*Lingao is a CMFR Trustee.