When the Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took over in 2022, many Filipino hoped that the country’s infamous hostile atmosphere would be harsh for journalists.
His predecessor, Rodrigo Dutee – a populist Strongman who is now facing trial in the international criminal court – launched a tireless campaign of threatening against presses, harassment and fatal violence, marked by the press.
More than two dozen journalists died during Duarte’s six -year presidential presidency.
Marcos Junior, The Son and Namekake of the Dictator collided with a popular revolution in 1986, where the presidential promise with the President’s promise.
He argued during his campaign, “The national interest is better served by a press which is important instead of a press which is cooperative.”
Three years, however, the picture is mixed. The Philippines have recorded low murders of journalists, and the global press freedom rankings have moved upwards. But under the figures, groups of rights and correspondents, politically motivated prosecutors, and warnings for people who target journalists warns to continue a terrible culture of impurity.
Phil Robertson, director of Asia Human Rights and Laboratory Advocates, said, “With a lot of things about President Marcos, he still benefits from comparing with President Rodrigo Dutee, which was the worst, when it comes to the freedom of the press, it was the worst.”
In 2024, for the first time in more than two decades, no Filipino journalist was murdered for his work, according to a report by the committee, according to a report by journalists (CPJs).
In 2025, reporters without boundaries ranked 116th out of 180 countries in their annual Press Freedom Index, compared to 2023.
Marcos Junior Administration quickly claimed credit.
“The country has a fixed press independence,” it was declared in the May 1 press release, saying that the government “expresses a right to expression and responsible journalism.”
But many journalists are very few for lake enthusiasm.
Philippines ‘safe’ but not better for journalists
Rachel E, a professor of journalism at the University of Philippines. Khan warned against Pragati.
He told DW that the journalists were now “safe” because “we now have the head of the state to open an open weather to attack the media now” as it was with its open hostile rhetoric under the durate.
Still the violence has not disappeared. At least five journalists died three years ago, Sion Marcos Junior, including Radio Broadcaster Irwin Labetad Segovia, who was shot in July, leaving the studio after the morning show in July.
The gradual governments have failed to justify the attackers in the previous cases, and the current administration has not broken the pattern, Robertson said.
Marcos JR’s government has so failed to address politically motivated prosecution which has become common under Duterte.
Young journalist has to face 40 years of jail sentence
There is a high-profile case, a 26-year-old journalist and arrested in February 2020 for the funding of terrorism and illegal possession of firearms, belonging to the French Mai Como. He has now spent more than four years in custody.
Sean Crispin, a representative of CPJ’s Senior South East Asia, told DW that his organization has specially difficult for the release of the composition, “So far there has been no use under the Marcos administration.”
She is a leg hero on the “trump-up allegations”, resulting in a jail sentence of up to 40 years, Crispin said.
He said that serious flaws in his case have been documented, including allegations that the authorities had put up weapons to justify the 2020 arrest.
Irene Khan, the special synergy of the United Nations on freedom of expression, has given rise to the ongoing detention of Cumpio.
CPJ, sent this week with more than 250 journalists and international media advocacy groups Open letter to President Marcos Junior. On September 29, he urged to take “decisive action” and intervene before hearing the next court of composo.
The letter states, “His continuous detention is not only denying justice, but is a contradiction of your statement to suppress freedom.”
Journalist’s face intimidated new forms
Bryoni Lau, director of Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia, said that Manila should work more to ensure that journalists can work safely, including investigating criminals of violence and prosecuting.
“In some cases, the journalist actually comes from the Philippine authorities, who regularly told ‘red-day’ journalists ‘red-day’ journalists, alleging being a supporter of the communist rebellion,” Lau told DW.
In 2022, the National Telecom Commission of the government blocked access to 26 websites, including alleged relations for alleged groups, including independent outlet Bulatlat. A court later overturned the verdict, deciding the constitutional security of the free speech applicable in the case.
Other forming forms of intimidation are fruitful. “Doxinging,” is a common practice of private information, a common practice, which is also desired by the authorities.
Last month, representative Richard Gomez posted displeasure on social media, who used to post personal details of journalists who contacted him for a comment on a story.
The thesis forms of harassment produce a cool effect, even without lump sum violence, the analyst said.
Danilo Arao, professor of journalism at the Philippines University Diliman, told DW that the pressure for journalists and media employees “rich and powerful” in general “reporting issues to toe the line to toe, including media owners and advertisers.”
This reality, when it comes to corruption and misuse of power, limits the sentinel role of the press.
The protesters have underlined this point in recent weeks. In the last two years, thousands of people have been taken to the streets daily to condemn a major corruption scam, incorporating a loss of about $ 2 billion (€ 1.7 billion) from fraud flood relief projects.
Environmental groups discovered as a claim of Greenpeace, as much as $ 15 billion has been away from climate -related programs.
What can be done?
Media rights preachers emphasize that the government needs to ensure that the violence against the journalist is prosecuted quickly and completely, and to pass the reforms that protect media freedom for MPs.
CPJ’s Crispin said, “As long as Marcos JR suggests that he is serious about convicting those who attacked the press, we are afraid that the journalist’s murders will continue,” said CPJ’s Crispin.
Many prominent politicians have campaigned on the Freedom Information (FOI) law of the Philippines and change the country’s strict complaint laws.
Jeff Raggio, assistant professor of media studies at Los Banos at the University of Philippines, explained that while some executive offices have adopted partial FOI measures, there is no national law that gives citizens access to information from legislative and judicial industry.
“President Marcos Junior Wood promoted a more honest sound in promoting a free speech if he can pattern to his supporters to pass the thesis laws,” Ragragio told DW.
Edited by: Wesley Rahan