In the Philippines, some progress for media rights, but risks remain

BANGKOK — 

Once the state with the worst grounds for securing justness successful writer killings, the Philippines is improving, accidental immoderate experts. But much enactment is needed to support reporters.

When helium assumed the presidency successful 2022, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pledged to "support and support the rights of the media."

In October 2022, helium said, "The federation counts connected media successful improving entree to accusation and expanding consciousness connected issues that impact our state and the world."

In the past year, media analysts person seen immoderate improvement. The suspected mastermind successful a writer sidesplitting from much than a decennary agone was arrested; a tribunal reversed an bid forcing the media website Rappler to close; and earlier this month, Marcos appointed erstwhile writer Joe Torres Jr. arsenic caput of the Presidential Task Force connected Media Security.

But extracurricular the capital, assemblage and vigor journalists are astatine hazard of menace oregon attack, experts say.

Beh Lih Yi, caput coordinator of the Asia programme astatine the Committee to Protect Journalists, oregon CPJ, said the media radical was encouraged by immoderate "positive developments" but believes the Marcos authorities could bash more.

"Although the president has repeatedly vowed enactment for a escaped press, helium has not backed up this alteration successful code with factual enactment and reforms to make a much wide and harmless media climate," she told VOA via email.

"Journalists successful the Philippines inactive routinely look harassment, ineligible threats, arbitrary detention and adjacent execution successful retaliation for their work," she said.

The Philippines Presidential Office has not responded to VOA’s email requesting comment.

Carlos Conde, a elder researcher astatine Human Rights Watch and a erstwhile journalist, sees immoderate signs of optimism nether Marcos.

One of the biggest changes from conditions nether his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, is that the Marcos medication is "not confrontational astatine each successful its nationalist pronouncements astir media and journalists," Conde told VOA.

"That's benignant of a large relief, and that's wherever the optimism comes from. And so, successful that sense, it has improved," helium said.

Under Duterte’s presidency from 2016 to 2022, helium vilified journalists who were captious of his policies. Media were labeled fake news, and watchdogs documented dozens of incidents of attacks and threats against the press.

At slightest 18 journalists were killed during his six-year presidency, according to CPJ data.

Another contented for the country’s journalists is alleged "red-tagging," successful which media and activists are accused — without grounds — by governmental figures, authorities information and others of being terrorists oregon communists.

Those targeted are often radical captious of authorities oregon governmental enactment policies. And being reddish tagged makes them a much salient people for threats, harassment and violence, experts say.

A study by Amnesty successful October recovered the signifier inactive happening nether the caller administration. Amnesty said the maneuver has been utilized to people quality rights activists, students and pupil journalists.

Marcos has denied the authorities is progressive successful reddish tagging and said the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict — an bureau alleged to beryllium progressive successful the red-tagging operations — volition not beryllium closed.

But Conde hopes reddish tagging volition halt nether Torres.

He volition caput the Presidential Task Force connected Media Security, a authorities bureau acceptable up to support media workers and beforehand property freedom.

When helium was a journalist, Torres wrote for outlets including The Manila Times and spoke with Conde connected a YouTube podcast earlier this period astir reddish tagging.

"[Torres] made a committedness that the bureau volition nary longer beryllium red-tagging journalists oregon accusing them of having communist links and things similar that. So, that is decidedly something," Conde told VOA.

Some advancement excessively has been made successful the cases of journalists killed for their work.

In September, erstwhile Palawan Governor Joel T. Reyes surrendered to authorities implicit the sidesplitting of biology writer Gerry Ortega, who was changeable and killed successful 2011. At the time, helium was investigating evident corruption involving Reyes, according to media watchdog Reporters Without Borders.

Reyes is the suspected mastermind. The trial, scheduled to commencement successful November, has been welcomed by media groups.

"The Philippines persistently fares poorly successful CPJ's Global Impunity Index, an yearly ranking which lists countries wherever killers of journalists spell free," CPJ’s Beh said via email.

The Philippines ranks ninth successful the impunity index.

With Ortega, said Beh, "his household is inactive waiting for afloat justness much than 13 years later."

While immoderate improvements are seen successful the capital, Jonathan de Santos, seat of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, said that for vigor and assemblage journalists, the risks are high.

"There is simply a cognition that the property state concern has improved, and possibly it has successful Metro Manila, but journalists successful the regions, particularly those from assemblage and alternate media, are inactive nether threat," helium told VOA.

"Apart from the information and information aspects, vigor journalists person besides historically not been paid well, which is an added hazard for them. Radio is besides wherever a batch of hard-hitting commentary is done, which puts vigor journalists astatine hazard of retaliation," helium added.

In October, vigor writer Maria Vilma Rodriguez was changeable and killed adjacent her location successful Zamboanga City connected Mindanao island. Police accidental the fishy was a comparative of Rodriguez who had a onshore quality with the 56-year-old.

The Philippines ranks 134 retired of 180 countries connected the Press Freedom Index, wherever 1 shows the champion media environment.