OUTGOING UNITED NATIONS Special Rapporteur Irene Khan, in her final report, warned that freedom of expression is “under attack in multiple ways” and the Philippines has “increasingly weaponizing speech, criminalizing dissent and restricting access to digital spaces.
She cited “the case of detained Filipino journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, who was convicted for financing terrorism.” “Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a community journalist, and human rights advocate Marielle Domequil were convicted in January for financing terrorism and sentenced to imprisonment of 12 to 18 years… their cases underscored the human impact of ‘Red-tagging’ and ‘a deficient process that provides limited avenues for recourse’… Freedom of opinion and expression, a fundamental inalienable human right, has been privatized, monetized, manipulated and unlawfully restricted.”
Khan shared a recommendation which the government should adopt “to foster an environment where independent, diverse and pluralistic media can thrive….” That is, “the need for ‘coalitions of multi stakeholders in dealing with issues concerning freedom of expression, …the strengthening of institutions, institutional counterweights, particularly of regulation that is rooted in human rights law, and rather than imposing excessive rules, governments should adopt smart regulation based on international human rights law and ensure regulators can operate independently without political interference.”
The fact is human rights violations have remained the order of the day under the current administration of President Bongbong Marcos and VP Sara Duterte. Their leadership has retained the notorious red/terrorist-tagging government agency, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), the ‘baby’ of VP Sara’s father, the ICC jailbird, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (awaiting trial for his crime against humanity, having been responsible for about 30,000 victims of Extra Judicial Killings under his bloody program, “War on Drugs – Operation Tokhang/Double Barrel,” heartlessly implemented by his friends, Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ de la Rosa, Sen. Bong Go, and a number of PNP generals, officers and ground troops, and others).
RED TAGGING
The NTF-ELCAC’s Red/Terrorist-Tagging operations have been responsible for numerous illegal arrests, tortures, detentions, enforced disappearances and EJKs not only of journalists, but environmental activists/groups, lawyers and even NGO workers helping marginalized communities of peasants in the provinces.
Sadly, such human rights violations have not been reported regularly by mainstream media, so that alter-media and the long-standing human rights watchdog, KARAPATAN, has courageously and faithfully reported and documented such human rights violations. It’s unfortunate, too, that the AFP/PNP, the DOJ, NBI and other enforcement agencies, and LGU officials have not been giving the appropriate serious attention on such human rights violations, as initiated by the NTF-ELCAC’s Red/Terrorist-Tagging operations.
While Irene Khan warned that various states, like the Philippines, have been attacking freedom of expression, President Bongbong and VP Sara cannot just rest easy that they are in the same boat on such negligence in enabling and strongly supporting the important fact, and internationally-recognized guideline for all countries, that media is a critical and vital pillar of Democracy.
The free flow of important useful relevant information nationwide on a daily basis must be firmly assured by government, by setting up the necessary protective regulations and effective safeguards from fake news. And such should be implemented in schools where the youth should learn how to think critically on how government works.
Indeed, FREEDOM of EXPRESSION that enlightens and inspires citizens and their government to know the relevant facts and the truth of messages that is shared within communities and society at large will surely keep the country stable, secure in its pursuit of good governance and continuing progress in the necessary struggle and attainment of decent lives for the majority, better yet, of all the Filipino people.
Mabuhay ka sirBon!
This is true !