DESPITE IT’S “extremely dynamic landscape,” the Philippines has remained in the list of countries where being a journalist isn’t just alleviated but extremely dangerous.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a coalition of international press freedom organizations, the Philippines ranked 114th in a list of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index 2026 iteration.
In 2025, the Philippines ranked 116th.
RSF World Press Freedom Index is a yearly ranking of countries and territories since 2002 to reflect the level of freedom for journalists, news organizations, and netizens from across the globe.
It also entices authorities to initiate efforts to respect freedom.
The index’s page for the Philippines notes: “Despite its extremely dynamic media landscape, the Philippines is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists.”
Despite a change in political leadership from Rodrigo Duterte to President Marcos Jr., the practice of red-tagging continues. Journalists critical over government narratives are accused of being “subversives” or “terrorists.”
According to the RSF, despite a 1987 Constitution that guarantees freedom of the press, the absence of an enabling law to protect journalists has yet been drawn.
Defamation charges are misused to prosecute journalists and threaten prison sentences, hence creating a chilling effect.
Meanwhile, online defamation charges under the Cybercrime Prevention Act are even harsher, reads a Rappler report.
Also, laws on media ownership and taxation are also used by the government to harass media outlets critical of authorities – such as what happened to ABS-CBN and Rappler.
RSF is composed of groups like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Free RSF consists of Press Unlimited (FPU), who few years ago flew to Tacloban City and Manila as part of the Consultative Network of the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) to engage in meetings with local stakeholders.
Marking the first of its kind mission organised by the MFC, a global alliance of 51 states committed to defending press freedom worldwide.
In economic context, the RSF noted the concentration of media to a few players, with “closer ties between media owning families and political barons at regional and national levels,” while smaller outfits that operate online continue to struggle with economic viability.
The RSF also called on the growing influence of Marcos cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in media “even more worrying.”
In 2023, Romualdez’s company Prime Media Holdings Inc. entered into a joint venture with ABS-CBN Corporation — Media Serbisyo Production Corporation. Under the joint venture, ABS-CBN (49%) is responsible for content, while Prime Media (51%) handles distribution.
Inside information also hinted at Romualdez stake in other media companies including the People’s Journal, the Manila Standard and the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The political polarization has led to disinformation flooding the spaces people go to for information, especially social media. Fake accounts flood social media platforms with false information that then influences online debate.
RSF added: “The 2025 general election campaign highlighted the scale of the problem: according to Cyabra, a company specializing in disinformation analysis, up to 45% of online discussions about the election originated from fake accounts, such as bots and fake users.”
The RSF noted that the Philippines is “one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists, as highlighted in 2009 when 32 reporters were massacred in Maguindanao. Impunity for these crimes is almost total.”
While the Philippine government set up a Presidential Task Force on Media Security in 2016, the body was not able to stem the vicious cycle of violence against journalists, RSF noted.
Regionally speaking, journalists are also the target of threats and lawsuits, while women journalists are subjected to specific gender-based risks — these include rape and cyber-harassment alongside the divulging of personal details.