Centro Escolar University – Manila
9 Mendiola St., San Miguel, Manila City
E-Portfolio & Political Science Essay
Silencing and Oppressing of the Press
A Political Science Essay regarding Press Freedom
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page…………………………………………………………………………………..1
Table of Contents …………………………………………………………………………2
Silencing and Oppressing of the Press…………………………………………………3
Articles……………………………………………………………………………………8
References…………………………………………………………………………………16
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Plagscan…………………………………………………………………………………..18
Introduction
People consume information through different ways such as through tv advertisements,
social media platforms, newspapers, magazines, and radio stations to keep up with what is
happening and what are the issues going around in a certain environment. Regardless of those
things, a vague transparency is evident on the role of government in the mass media.
Press freedom is a backbone of democracy and democracy is evident to a free press.
However, the press cannot work properly if they are being silenced and oppressed. The press
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delivers multiple voices to be heard and it is the public and society’s voices. Press is a medium
that disseminates information, speaks truth to the people, hold those authorities accountable
(Kalb, Rauch, Wessel, and Kirchick, 2018).
The society can be influenced by the desires of the government if a certain entity of
government interpose in the press and meddling the flow of information being disseminated by
the press. In addition to that, government controlling and regulating the press will limit the
media’s freedom to convey information and limit the public’s freedom of expression (Chandna,
2019).
In relation with the previous statement, limiting the freedom of press and expression will
lead to the government’s power and control over what the public sees, reads, and even listens,
affecting the public’s views (Chandna, 2019).
Even so, The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines Article 3 Section 4
states that there shall not be any law that will diminish the freedom of speech, expression, press,
and the rights of the people to peacefully congregate and appeal the government for restitution of
complaints ( Official Gazette, n.d.).
This oppression to the press is currently evident in the Philippines wherein those with
power specifically the President of the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte, together with the
Philippine congress shuts down the leading broadcast system in the Philippines, Alto
Broadcasting System - Chronicle Broadcasting Network (ABS-CBN) last May 2020 cutting
thousands of jobs amidst the pandemic.
ABS-CBN Shutting Down
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Last February ABS-CBN apologized for failing to air Duterte’s advertisements due to the
time limit that is under the election law and even offered on returning Duterte’s money but
Duterte declined it saying to just give it to charitable institutions (Aguilar,2020).
The network has been granted a new franchise by the Congress but a total of 70
lawmakers in the House of panel voted against the renewal of the franchise and Duterte
repeatedly blocked the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise, stating that the network failed to air his
advertisements during the presidency campaign last 2016 (Aguilar, 2020).
Lawmakers in the Philippines shut down ABS-CBN, one of the country’s largest
broadcast networks, bagging the biggest blow on media against the President Rodrigo Duterte as
he shuts down the said network for being against his leadership making ABS-CBN let go of their
employees at the end of August and officially shutting down the network (Gutierrez, 2020).
This decision of shutting down one of the country’s largest network just evidently
showed how powerful the government and the administration can get to satisfy their personal
reasons and not thinking of the loss of the biggest assets of the country when it comes to press.
The network was not able to express their opinions openly and will not be able to cater the
Filipino people anymore as the network shuts down, forcefully leaving the mass media hanging.
Previous Issues About Oppression to the Press
Last May 3, 2018, the Filipino journalists spend World Press Freedom Day even under
government attack due to Philippines House of Representatives issuing a new draft regulations
allowing the Congress to ban reporters who befoul the name of the legislators covering the
national legislature (Conde, 2018).
4
In addition to that, Duterte threw provocateur public statements and even death threats
against the journalists, specifically to the new website, Rappler, which has been opposing the
administration. The government took further steps from blocking rappler reporters to cover from
Malacañang Palace to initiating a tax evasion and libel enactments against rappler (Conde,
2018).
Other than Rappler, the Philippine government also targeted the owner of the Philippine
Daily Inquirer, one of the largest and most influential newspaper in the Philippines, and even
requesting bar accredited foreign reporters to cover the Philippines at ASEAN event in
Singapore, as well as restricting journalists to enter a popular island resort (Conde, 2018).
According to the 2018 World Press Freedom Index, the Philippines’ press freedom global
ranking got decreased by the Reporters Without Borders from 127 to 133 out of the 180
countries (Reporters Without Borders, 2018). In addition to that, four journalists were killed last
year, resulting to Philippines being one of the deadliest countries for the journalists in Asia.
Laws that support Press Freedom
The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines Article 3 Section 4 states that
there shall not be any law that will diminish the freedom of speech, expression, press, and the
rights of the people to peacefully congregate and appeal the government for restitution of
complaints ( Official Gazette, n.d.).
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According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) Article 19, without the
interference through any media, every individual is set to have the right of freedom pf opinion
and expression (Chandna, 2018). However, this provision is not acknowledged by the legislators
and congress as the media is heavily influenced and controlled by the government, limiting the
freedom of press.
Conclusion
Press freedom will not be given if the government limits and controls them. Press
freedom is more likely based the authorities and how they want the public to be informed in
certain issues that they want them to know. Different countries have different ways of how they
control the media, and Philippines is one of those countries wherein media is controlled by the
government and not being independent medium serving the people with the truth as they are
being silenced and oppressed by the government.
Every Filipinos deserve to know the truth and every media and press deserve to deliver
the truth without anyone one oppressing them and making their jobs a biased one. Freedom of
expression and opinion is human right, but it is being disregarded as even the lawmaker side with
the oppressors.
Press freedom is a democracy as Philippines is a democratic country, but the press
is being limited of that freedom. The press are the voices of the public, they should not be
silenced and oppressed. The public should not be silenced and oppressed.
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Articles
Title : On World Press Freedom Day, Brookings experts reflect on the importance of a free
press
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Author: Marvin Kalb, Jonathan Rauch, David Wessel, and James Kirchick
Date : May 3, 2018
From: brookings.edu
Article:
“A free press is important because it is an essential ingredient in a democracy. The press,
when it does what it should, speaks truth to power. It is a check on corruption, excesses, and
stupidity in government and in business”
Paraphrased:
The press delivers multiple voices to be heard and it is the public and society’s voices.
Press is a medium that disseminates information, speaks truth to the people, hold those
authorities accountable (Kalb, Rauch, Wessel, and Kirchick, 2018).
Title : HOW IS MEDIA IMPACTED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS?
Author: MUDIT CHANDNA
Date : 2019
From: ijeronline.com
Article:
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If a government entity intervenes in the press and disrupts the free flow of information,
the public can be influenced and manipulated to the will of the government and politicians.
Moreover, by regulating and controlling the media, the government affects and limits the
freedom of speech an individual is entitled to. Many news agencies still rely on the government
to source news through press releases, press conferences, press events and interviews. This gives
the government power over what the public reads, watches, and listens to and indirectly
influences their views. Another way the government directly affects the media is by placing
requirements and limitations upon the licensing of media agencies.
According to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), every
individual has the right to freedom of opinion and expression without interference through any
media. Although the UDHR is not legally binding, it is referenced and legally codified by many
countries in their respective constitutions and policies.
Paraphrased:
The society can be influenced by the desires of the government if a certain entity of
government interpose in the press and meddling the flow of information being disseminated by
the press. In addition to that, government controlling and regulating the press will limit the
media’s freedom to convey information and limit the public’s freedom of expression (Chandna,
2019).
In relation with the previous statement, limiting the freedom of press and expression will
lead to the government’s power and control over what the public sees, reads, and even listens,
affecting the public’s views (Chandna, 2019).
9
According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) Article 19, without the
interference through any media, every individual is set to have the right of freedom pf opinion
and expression (Chandna, 2018). However, this provision is not acknowledged by the legislators
and congress as the media is heavily influenced and controlled by the government, limiting the
freedom of press.
Title : THE 1987 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES –
ARTICLE III
Author: Official Gazette
Date : n.d.
From: Official Gazette.gov.ph
Article:
“No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press,
or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of
grievances.”
Paraphrased:
Even so, The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines Article 3 Section 4
states that there shall not be any law that will diminish the freedom of speech, expression, press,
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and the rights of the people to peacefully congregate and appeal the government for restitution of
complaints ( Official Gazette, n.d.).
Title : Duterte says he’s a ‘casualty’ of ABS-CBN
Author: Krissy Aguilar
Date : 2020
From: newsinfo.inquirer.net/
Article:
ABS-CBN has been off the air since May 5. It has yet to be granted with a new franchise
by Congress. A total of 70 lawmakers in a House panel voted against granting the network a new
congressional franchise to resume its operations. Duterte had repeatedly vowed to block the
renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise, citing the network’s failure to air his ads during his campaign
for the presidency in 2016.
Paraphrased:
Last February ABS-CBN apologized for failing to air Duterte’s advertisements due to the
time limit that is under the election law and even offered on returning Duterte’s money but
Duterte declined it saying to just give it to charitable institutions (Aguilar,2020).
The network has been granted a new franchise by the Congress but a total of 70
lawmakers in the House of panel voted against the renewal of the franchise and Duterte
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repeatedly blocked the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise, stating that the network failed to air his
advertisements during the presidency campaign last 2016 (Aguilar, 2020).
Title : Philippine Congress Officially Shuts Down Leading Broadcaster
Author: Jason Gutierrez
Date : 2020
From: nytimes.com
Article:
Philippine lawmakers on Friday formally shut down the country’s largest broadcast
network, the latest major blow against the news media as President Rodrigo Duterte cracks down
on outlets that have been critical of his leadership.
After 13 hearings, a committee of the House of Representatives — most of whose
members are allied with Mr. Duterte — voted by an overwhelming majority to deny ABS-CBN’s
application for renewal of its broadcast franchise. The network had been forced off the air in
May, after the franchise expired.
Paraphrased:
Lawmakers in the Philippines shut down ABS-CBN, one of the country’s largest
broadcast networks, bagging the biggest blow on media against the President Rodrigo Duterte as
he shuts down the said network for being against his leadership making ABS-CBN let go of their
employees at the end of August and officially shutting down the network (Gutierrez, 2020).
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Title : Relentless Assault on the Philippine Press
Author: Carlos H. Conde
Date : April 30, 2018
From: hrw.org
Article:
Filipino journalists will spend World Press Freedom Day on May 3 under government
attack. New draft regulations issued by the Philippine House of Representatives would allow
Congress to ban reporters who “besmirch” the reputation of lawmakers from covering the
national legislature. Journalists and some members of Congress have denounced the proposed
rule as dangerously ambiguous and stifling. And to many Filipinos this restriction on freedom of
expression is an affront to their pride in their country’s free if freewheeling press.
These restrictions are just the latest in a series of attacks on the Philippine press by
President Rodrigo Duterte’s government and its supporters, aimed at silencing critical voices.
While the government has been especially ferocious against people and organizations demanding
accountability for the government’s “drug war,” which has killed more than 12,000 people since
July 2016, any criticism of the administration seems subject to reprisal.
Duterte has made incendiary public statements against journalists, even justifying death
threats against them. The main target has been the news website Rappler, which has been highly
critical of the administration. Since February, the government has blacklisted Rappler reporters
from covering Malacañang Palace, the president’s residence. In March, the government initiated
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tax evasion and libel prosecutions against Rappler. An ongoing Securities and Exchange
Commission investigation of Rappler’s ownership structure could result in the outlet’s closure.
The government has likewise targeted the owners of the Philippines’ largest and most
influential newspaper, the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Most recently, the government restricted
media access to a popular island resort and, last week, sought to bar accredited foreign
correspondents from covering the Philippines at an ASEAN event in Singapore.
The increasingly hostile environment for the Philippine press has not gone unnoticed. In
its 2018 World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders reduced the Philippines’ press
freedom global ranking from 127 to 133 out of 180 countries. In addition to government threats
and media restrictions, four journalists were murdered last year, making the Philippines the
deadliest country for journalists in Asia.
Paraphrased:
Last May 3, 2018, the Filipino journalists spend World Press Freedom Day even under
government attack due to Philippines House of Representatives issuing a new draft regulations
allowing the Congress to ban reporters who befoul the name of the legislators covering the
national legislature (Conde, 2018).
In addition to that, Duterte threw provocateur public statements and even death threats
against the journalists, specifically to the new website, Rappler, which has been opposing the
administration. The government took further steps from blocking rappler reporters to cover from
Malacañang Palace to initiating a tax evasion and libel enactments against rappler (Conde,
2018).
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Other than Rappler, the Philippine government also targeted the owner of the Philippine
Daily Inquirer, one of the largest and most influential newspaper in the Philippines, and even
requesting bar accredited foreign reporters to cover the Philippines at ASEAN event in
Singapore, as well as restricting journalists to enter a popular island resort (Conde, 2018).
According to the 2018 World Press Freedom Index, the Philippines’ press freedom global
ranking got decreased by the Reporters Without Borders from 127 to 133 out of the 180
countries (Reporters Without Borders, 2018). In addition to that, four journalists were killed last
year, resulting to Philippines being one of the deadliest countries for the journalists in Asia.
References
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Aguilar, K. (2020). Duterte says he’s a ‘casualty’ of ABS-CBN. INQUIRER.net.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1312734/duterte-says-hes-a-casualty-of-abs-cbn
Chandna,M.(2019)https://www.ijeronline.com/documents/volumes/2019/Sept%20-%20Oct%202
019/ijer%20 v10i5%20so%20(4).pdf
Conde,C. (2020, October 2). Human Rights Watch.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/04/30/relentless-assault-philippine-press
Kalb, M., Rauch, J., Wessel, D., & Kirchick, J. (2018). On world press Freedom Day, Brookings
experts reflect on the importance of a Free Press. Brookings.
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2018/05/02/on-world-press-freedom-day-
brookings-experts-reflect-on-the-importance-of-a-free- press/#:~:text=A%20free
%20press%20is%20important,in%20government%20and%20in %20business
Gutierrez, J. (2020). The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/10/world/asia/philippines-congress-media-duterte-
abs-cbn.html
Official Gazette. (n.d.). Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines.
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/the-1987-constitution-of-the-republic-
of-the-philippines/the-1987-constitution-of-the-republic-of-the-philippines-article-
iii/#:~:text=No%20law%20shall%20be%20passed,prohibiting%20the%20free%20exerci
se%20thereof
Reporters without borders. (n.d.). RSF. https://rsf.org/en/philippines
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Plagscan result of essay
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