How OVP's public rebukes of media can trigger harassment

MANILA, Philippines — The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines is urging public officials to take their complaints directly to newsrooms rather than airing their grievances publicly — a move the group's chairperson says can embolden online harassment against journalists.

The call comes after Vice President Sara Duterte’s office issued a flurry of public rebukes from June 26 to July 2 of two broadsheets and a news anchor over stories it claimed contained misquotes and false claims. 

While acknowledging the media has a duty to correct its mistakes, NUJP chairperson Jonathan de Santos cautioned that censures by officials with large followings often become dog whistles for online mobs.  

"Public statements on supposed errors, especially when done by public officials with large and very enthusiastic followings sends a signal — intentionally or not — for their supporters to troll or harass news staff who produced the story," De Santos told Philstar.com. 

In some cases, such acts have led to doxxing — exposing one's private information — and other threats against journalists, the NUJP chairperson said.

This comes after the Office of the Vice President issued pointed rebukes against The Manila Times, Manila Standard, and ABS-CBN anchor Karen Davila between June 26 and July 2. Duterte's office called out the two broadsheets over their reports on Duterte's comments about drug war victims' families to alleged plans involving her father's house in Davao. It also flagged Davila for her remarks related to the vice president's supposed intent to bring back a body that would recover the Marcoses' ill-gotten wealth. 

De Santos acknowledged that newsrooms are "not immune from error" and have transparency obligations to their audiences. But he stressed that complaints should be made through formal channels. 

"We urge public officials and personalities to course complaints and issues with stories and reports through proper channels — this both helps maintain civility and puts their objections on formal record for possible sanctions and other internal mechanisms that newsrooms have for reports that do not pass ethical and accuracy standards," he said.

The OVP had called out the Manila Times for a story published June 26 claiming Duterte "cannot understand why the families of the victims of the drug war" oppose her father's petition for interim release from the International Criminal Court. The OVP said Duterte was actually referring to ICC prosecutors, not drug war victims' families. 

A day after the OVP issued its statement, the Manila Times published this under its Letters to the Editor.

Meanwhile, the OVP also issued a statement where it said it "strongly refutes" Manila Standard's story headlined: "VP Sara opposes sale, wants Rody’s house to be a museum.” The vice president's office said Duterte did not oppose the sale of her father's home in Davao City, and that the story used fabricated quotes attributed to her. 

The OVP on Wednesday, July 2, took issue with anchor Karen Davila for supposedly citing unnamed sources about Duterte's supposed plans to revive the Presidential Commission on Good Government if elected president in 2028. The OVP dismissed this as an "absolute lie." 

Philstar.com has sought comment from the OVP on whether it reached out to the journalists or media outlets involved. This story will be updated with their response.

The vice president's office demanded corrections and errata from all three organizations. Its statement on Davila's remarks warned it "reserves all rights to pursue appropriate remedies."

Duterte’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, had a combative relationship with the media during his term from 2016 to 2022. His presidency was marked by his public tirades against journalists, legal harassment of critical news organizations, and intensified online attacks against the press. 

The elder Duterte had publicly singled out and lashed out at multiple reporters during his presidency, including Rappler reporter Pia Ranada and veteran journalist Ellen Tordesillas.