THE Philippines is taking the global spotlight anew following the death of a local journalist who was killed in what the military claimed as an encounter with communist insurgents in Taboso town, Negros Occidental.
In a statement, Altermidya Network identified the slain media person as RJ Nichole Ledesma, a writer and editor of Paghimutad-Negros and regional coordinator of Altermidya in Negros Island.
“RJ was a community journalist, editor, and poet. He served as editor-in-chief of Spectrum, the student publication of the University of St. La Salle–Bacolod, where he took a degree in Psychology,” reads part of the statement.
“Since 2020, he led Paghimutad Negros, an alternative media outfit focused on human rights reporting and grassroots storytelling. He later joined Altermidya as regional coordinator for Negros Island.”
According to Altermidya, Ledesma was in the area conducting community work and immersion reporting on the effects of renewable energy projects on farmer communities when the military struck the area.
HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT
However, an information from Human Rights Advocates Negros (HRAN), Altermidya said Ledesma was not at the initial clash site in Sitio Sinugmawan.
“HRAN said RJ was not at the initial clash site in Sitio Sinugmawan. According to the group, he was instead attacked in a separate peasant community in Sitio Plariding during an ensuing military pursuit operation,” Altermidya said.
Altermidya also claimed that Paghimutad-Negros had long been subjected by the government to red-tagging and vilification, including a 2022 social media post by a military unit linking one of its reports to communist groups.
Interestingly, the Altermidya also forms part of the list of media organizations closely monitored by the National Task Force To End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
CIVILIAN CASUALTIES
Previous reports noted the death of civilians during the military operations, for which the Philippine Army issued its own statement, insisting that the supposed civilians were combatants.
“Ano ang ginagawa ng mga sinasabi nilang journalist, social workers, faculty members, spokesperson ng mga progresibong grupo sa loob ng encounter site na may mga bitbit na baril at nakipagbarilan sa ating mga sundalo?” Army spokesperson Colonel Louie Dema-ala was quoted in a GMA News Online report.
“Yan ang tanong ko sa kanila,” he added.
Dema-ala maintained that soldiers from the 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB) acted professionally and in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.
“Troops showed steadfast commitment to their mission and dedication to duty. Their adherence to International Humanitarian Law and utmost respect for human rights stand as a testament to the professionalism and honor that define the Philippine Army soldier.”
STUDENT ACTIVIST TOO
Forming part of the 19 fatalities, whom the Philippine Army referred to as members of the New People’s Army (NPA), is student leader Alyssa Alano.
The UP Diliman University Student Council (USC) said that the slain student leader was its Education and Research councilor.
Since Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took the helm of Malacanang, human rights organizations have documented multiple killings and disappearances of activists, youth leaders, and environmental defenders under his administration.
According to data from the human rights alliance Karapatan and other reporting, many of these cases occurred in the context of counter-insurgency operations.
OCCUPATIONAL RISKS
Since 1986, over 200 Filipino media persons have been slain, making the Philippines among the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists.
Journalists face severe risks, including killings, red-tagging, digital harassment, and legal threats like libel, with perpetrators rarely brought to justice.
As of 2025, the Philippines is ranked 116th out of 180 countries in the RSF World Press Freedom Index, reflecting a consistently dangerous landscape.
The country also consistently ranks high on the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Global Impunity Index, which tracks unsolved murders of media workers, ranking 8th in 2023. Journalists face physical violence, particularly in provinces outside Manila, alongside digital threats, such as hacking and online harassment.
Journalists and media outlets critical of the government are often subjected to “red-tagging,” which serves as a precursor to physical attacks and threats.
The 2009 Maguindanao massacre, where 34 journalists were killed, remains a defining case of impunity, while attacks have continued under subsequent administrations.