MANILA, Philippines – Ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA), media groups called on him to prioritize decriminalizing libel and enacting a Freedom of Information (FOI) Law.

The conveners of the 1st Philippine Media Safety Summit asked Marcos to keep his promise of supporting a “press that is critical” by including these in his SONA legislative priority.

“The President himself said it in April: ‘The principal role of the press is not to applaud those who govern, but you hold us accountable, without holding back in giving praise to those who deserve it. Along with that stance is our collective goal of protecting the welfare and lives of journalists,’” the conveners said in a statement on Sunday, July 21. 

“Now is the time for Mr. Marcos to keep his promise and include efforts to ensure a ‘truly free and safe environment for all journalists’ in his SONA legislative priority,” the group added. 

Lawmakers in both the House of Representatives and Senate have submitted several bills— SB1593, SB2403, HB1769 and HB5372 — seeking to decriminalize libel, but none have been signed into law.

The media groups urged the President this time to “prioritize legislative measures that would decriminalize libel.” The groups described the current laws on libel as being “weaponized against journalists and used as a tool to shield public officials against criticisms and defamatory utterances.” (READ: [ANALYSIS] Decriminalizing libel)

The conveners also said in their statement that a “legislated FOI, which has been supported by various business organizations and chambers of commerce, will promote transparency in government transactions regardless of whoever sits in Malacañang.”

The conveners are as follows: Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication, Center for Community Journalism and Development, College of Mass Communication-UP Diliman, Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, Freedom for Media Freedom for All, Mindanews, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Peace and Conflict Journalism Network, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and the Philippine Press Institute.

The administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte issued an executive order on FOI, but the measure only covers departments and offices under the executive branch. The eFOI platform, which facilitates FOI requests, has also been criticized for being slow to respond. (READ: How serious is the Duterte administration about FOI?)

The groups also asked the President to “make a clear stance to end the practice of red tagging, which has been used to target journalists.” Related to this, the media groups pushed for the removal of a provision in the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2022 that includes journalists as possible witnesses in drug cases.

“For as long as this provision is not removed, journalists are at risk of being cited for contempt or subjected to arrest warrants for not showing up in courts as witnesses in drug cases,” the conveners said.

Marcos Jr. did not mention matters on press freedom and other media issues in his 2023 SONA. – Rappler.com