CHR urges government to act on online threats to journalists
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights called on the government to address online threats hurled against News5 journalist Ed Lingao and television host Lourd de Veyra, who were the latest media personalities to receive threats in the wake of the shooting of a journalist last week.
This comes a week after the murder of radioman Percival Mabasa, better known as Percy Lapid, who was shot by motorcycle-riding gunmen while on his way to his studio.
In a statement sent to reporters, the commission called on the government to address violations and take measures to prevent media attacks, saying it would reach out to Lingao and De Veyra to verify the threats and offer help.
"We stress the undeniable and vital role of the media in helping the Filipino citizenry obtain timely and accurate information imperative to the realisation of their rights. Any attempts to silence the press—particularly by creating a culture of fear and violence—directly impacts democracy and the human rights situation in the country," the CHR said.
Based on initial review, the CHR said that a certain Seth Corteza claimed that the two would be the next victims of assassination.
READ: DOJ Cybercrime: We take online threats, whether vs politicians or ordinary citizens, seriously
In separate press conferences after Lapid's killings, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police tagged the case as an isolated incident — Mabasa was the second journalist to be killed in the first 100 days of the Marcos administration — and urged journalists to reach out if they feel their safety is at risk.
"The Commission on Human Rights remains firm in its stance to defend the free press and calls for the protection of all media workers in the country. We do not and cannot take lightly any threats or any allusions to harm the lives of journalists, regardless if such statements are deliberate or cursory," the CHR also said.
The Philippines placed seventh on the Committee to Protect Journalists' 2021 World Impunity Index of countries "where journalists are murdered and the perpetrators go free."
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a speech before the Manila Overseas Press Club earlier vowed to protect media personalities and be a "partner" to journalists. He did not reference the Percy Lapid case directly.
Former Palace reporter Rose Novenario, whose application for accreditation the Office of the Press Secretary rejected in August, has received death threats, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said earlier. Some of those messages also mentioned Mabasa's killing.
"We look forward to their efforts to look into this matter and similar cases of media rights violations committed in the country. CHR hopes for genuine justice and the end of impunity," the CHR also said.
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