UN urges Philippines to investigate jailed journalists

DW (English)

The UN's rapporteur for freedom of expression has asked Philippine authorities to review the cases of journalists detained in the Southeast Asian country.

Transcript

00:00 I'm like, "Chineka?"

00:02 In lockdown.

00:04 This is last year.

00:06 There are things that Joby gave me.

00:12 Jube.

00:25 We focus on stories not usually covered in the mainstream media.

00:30 So we publish stories of farmers, workers, and other marginalized sectors.

00:36 We're very critical of the government.

00:38 That's one of the advocacies of the publication of the organization,

00:43 to be vocal of government abuses, especially on corruption and human rights.

00:49 For a long time, the government has been accusing

00:52 Pinoy Weekly, Bulatlat, and other alternative media outfits

00:57 of being fronts of the communist movement here in the Philippines.

01:20 NUJP documented 109 cases of these attacks,

01:25 ranging from surveillance, harassment, verbal threats,

01:31 and arrest and trump up charges.

01:36 It also includes libel and cyber libel,

01:40 and the practice of red-tagging journalists.

01:44 [bell ringing]

01:46 [inaudible]

01:48 [inaudible]

01:51 [inaudible]

02:18 I hope, after my visit, the government authorities will look into those cases,

02:22 review the case, and dismiss the charges,

02:25 or bring them to trial rapidly with full due process,

02:29 so that it can be decided whether or not they are guilty.

02:32 And the blocking of websites is a direct form of censorship,

02:36 which requires a high degree of scrutiny.

02:39 I have recommended an executive order denouncing this practice

02:43 and setting out very clear measures that can be taken to discourage,

02:49 disincentivize, and discipline those who violate the policy.

02:54 Policy.

02:54 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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