EDITORIAL - Steep fall

The country that boasts of the freest press in this part of the world has fallen by a precipitous 34 places in the latest global Press Freedom Index. The Philippines, together with Ukraine, Greece and Kyrgyzstan, warranted special mention for a “heavy fall” in the 2010 index drawn up by Reporters Without Borders. The Brussels-based organization attributed the Philippines’ fall from 122nd place to the current 156th among 213 countries to the massacre of 31 journalists in Maguindanao in November last year.

The massacre pushed the country’s ranking lower than that of Iraq, which placed 130th, Russia (140th) and Afghanistan (147th). The Philippines was one rank behind Swaziland and a notch ahead of Saudi Arabia. Press freedom in the last 12 months was at its worst, according to the index, in Eritrea, followed by North Korea, Turkme-nistan, Iran, Burma, Sudan, Syria, China, Yemen and Rwanda.

Assessing its annual index, now in its ninth year, Reporters Without Borders noted that the battle for press freedom continues even in established democracies. It also noted: “More than ever before, we see that economic development, institutional reform and respect for fundamental rights do not necessarily go hand in hand.” Among emerging powers Brazil, Russia, India and China, only Brazil registered a marked improvement, rising 12 notches to 58th place because of new legislation promoting press freedom. In the Philippines, on the other hand, journalists are entering their 10th year of waiting for Congress’ passage of the Freedom of Information Act.

Sharing the No. 1 spot for press freedom were Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland – countries that also consistently rank high in international comparisons of transparency, quality of life and human development indicators. There has to be a correlation there, with a free press necessary for good governance and national prosperity. In the Philippines, the consistent criticism is that authorities have allowed impunity to prevail, with critical journalists harassed and murdered and the perpetrators rarely brought to justice. With the country under new management, journalists are waiting for an end to this culture of impunity.