The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Friday welcomed the recommendations of United Nations Special Rapporteur (UNSR) on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan following her official visit to the country in January 2024.
The UNSR cited the need to further strengthen the implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and expand the mandate of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security in order to improve the working conditions of Filipino journalists
In its statement, the Commission said Khan’s recommendations reflected both the progresses made and the urgent reforms still needed to protect and promote free expression in the Philippines.
“Every Filipino’s right to freedom of expression and opinion is inherently linked to access to diverse sources of information, protection from threats and meaningful participation in public life. As such, CHR remains firm in its stand that while the Philippines has seen improvements in this area, there remains a clear need for fundamental reforms to ensure that the free flow of information remains central to the country’s democracy,” it read.
Khan then met with CHR officials to discuss opportunities for improvement, challenges and commendable initiatives related to the state of freedom of opinion and expression in the Philippines.
“The Commission notes the issues raised in the Special Rapporteur’s report to the Human Rights Council. In particular, CHR expresses deep concern over the continued occurrences of red-tagging, persisting cases of enforced disappearances and media killings, incidents of arbitrary detention, and the vilification of human rights defenders,” the CHR said.
“Furthermore, CHR condemns all forms of censorship, such as the takedown or blocking of media outlets and websites, alongside the lack of proactive measures to support self-regulating media entities,” it added.
Khan’s findings and recommendations aligned with the vision of a democratic society where every Filipino could participate in a healthy ecosystem of truthful information, the Commission emphasized.
It called on the government as well as lawmakers to act on the need to enhance the country’s legal framework to protect civil society, media workers, and other stakeholders from any threats to press freedom, dissent and civic participation.
