CHR calls for more legal protection for media workers
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Friday called on the government to provide more legal protection for media workers "to ensure press freedom, dissent, and civic participation."
"CHR urges the Philippine government to act on the need to enhance the country's legal framework, including proposed legislation such as the Media Workers' Welfare Bill and Journalist Protection Bill, as well as existing mechanisms like Administrative Order No. 35 (creating an inter-agency task force on extrajudicial killings) and Executive Order No. 31, the decriminalization of libel, and a re-examination of key provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020," the CHR said in a statement.
The CHR issued the statement after UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan urged the Philippine government to ratify international human rights treaties and restore its past ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
"The findings and recommendations of the Special Rapporteur align with the vision of a democratic society where every Filipino can participate in a healthy ecosystem of truthful information," added the CHR.
The CHR also said there is a need to further strengthen the implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists, as well as expand the mandate of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security.
On the international level, CHR echoed Khan's call for the Philippines to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and to reaccede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
"Every Filipino's right to freedom of expression and opinion is inherently linked to access to diverse sources of information, protection from threats, and meaningful participation in public life. As such, CHR remains firm in its stand that while the Philippines has seen improvements in this area, there remains a clear need for fundamental reforms to ensure that the free flow of information remains central to the country's democracy," the CHR added.
Likewise, the CHR echoed the Special Rapporteur's deep concern over the continued occurrences of red-tagging, persisting cases of enforced disappearances and media killings, incidents of arbitrary detention, and the vilification of human rights defenders.
Meanwhile, the CHR also welcomed Khan's recommendation to strengthen the independence of the Commission through the passage of the CHR Charter Bill.
CHR hopes that the recommendations set forth by the Special Rapporteur will reinforce the foundations already established toward fostering a safer environment for all Filipinos," said CHR. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
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