Irene Khan, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion, expressed concerns Friday about the escalating number of journalist killings in the Philippines and called for immediate action.
Khan emphasized that the murder of journalists constitutes the “most egregious form of censorship.” Despite global efforts to promote press freedom, the Philippines remains a perilous environment for journalists, with 81 unresolved cases of journalist killings, according to data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Khan’s recommendations extend beyond addressing journalist killings to dismantling a government task force aimed at quelling a half-century-old communist insurgency. The task force, is accused of “red-tagging,” or labelling government critics as rebel sympathizers.
There are growing calls from the international community, human rights organizations and the Philippines government to work collaboratively towards implementing comprehensive legal reforms to safeguard the rights of journalists and activists. Since the assumption of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr in 2022, at least four journalists have lost their lives. The Philippines currently ranks 132nd out of 180 countries on the Reporter’s Without Borders (RSF) freedom of the press rankings.
