STATEMENT | We still insist on being free

As the country marks National Press Freedom Day, we note that the barriers to its exercise remain.

Media workers still face the threat of weaponization of the law, harassment in the field, vilification for doing their jobs, and the lack of more binding mechanisms for free access to data and information.

In Davao City in the past few days, colleagues have been put at risk by people who disagree with how they have been reporting the ongoing police operations to find Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Apollo Quiboloy.

Media is not infallible and is bound by ethics to avoid errors and to swiftly acknowledge and correct them.

But any errors and disputes on reports are best raised through proper editorial channels, not through threats or actual violence.

We reiterate our call for parties involved to be forthright with information but not to insist that media carry only the narrative that they want to see and hear.

Economically, media workers also have to contend with low pay, insecure employment and the lack of many protections and benefits they should have under the country’s labor laws.

While we welcome the government’s designation of August 30 as a day to acknowledge and promote press freedom, the community of independent journalists should and does choose to do every day by reporting, broadcasting and publishing despite the barriers and challenges.

National Directorate

National Union of Journalists of the Philippines