When former dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was beginning to build his empire through unprecedented violence and corruption, he made sure to silence the press first. On this day five years ago, Marcos Sr. declared Martial Law, which led to the shutdown of numerous press outlets and arrests of top news publishers in the country. Having had the entire mass media under his control, Marcos Sr. possessed the power to dictate the press and censor any content that pointed out his misdecisions and abuses.
Five decades have passed since then, Filipino journalists continue to struggle with limited independence and agency in their work of truth-telling. Coming from the former president Rodrigo Duterte’s incessant clampdown against the free press and to the President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s negligence towards the journalists’ plight, press freedom in the country continues to deteriorate.
Two years into Marcos Jr.’s administration, the public has seen little to no action from the government on improving access to truthful information. The websites of alternative media outlets that were ordered blocked by Duterte continue to struggle with limited access and visibility as the block order persists. The ABS-CBN, the media conglomerate which Duterte shut down in 2021, faces the same challenge as the revocation of their franchise heavily affected their provision of news programs in regional areas.
The enduring culture of intimidation and harassment against journalists also compound these problems. The cases of three journalists who were killed during the present administration are enough to bring a chilling effect among truth-tellers. The continued weaponization of cyber libel laws is equally silencing many journalists into submission as well.
The lack of safeguards to support journalists is not only a concern for the media industry. It is a concern that affects everyone. With Marcos Jr.’s inaction towards urgent press freedom issues, he is consequently denying Filipinos’ right to expression and to access information that empower them. An independent and thriving press is the cornerstone of a free and fair society. Without it, it will be difficult for Filipinos to make decisions for their social and political lives. It will be impossible to hold governments and entities to account.
When Marcos Sr. thought he successfully stifled the media, determined journalists worked underground and continued to publish critical pieces against his administration. Their alternative way of truth-telling helped Filipinos see through Marcos Sr.’s abuses in power. The bravery and willpower of journalists to keep citizens informed despite challenging conditions are undeniable. But for them to be able to continue their noble work without fear, the general public must push for the government to put in place policies protecting journalists and to end the culture of impunity that has killed and silenced journalists.
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