Category Archives: media

Congress complicit in enabling Duterte’s terror regime

By admin | April 12, 2022

Published by Bayan Metro Manila After passing the Terror Bill which President Rodrigo Duterte recently signed into law, Congress voted to reject the franchise application of ABS-CBN. Duterte is the chief executioner spreading hate, fear, divisiveness, and misery in the country; but Congress proved to be a willing partner in legitimizing the suppression of civil […]

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IFEX Asia brief: April, May, June 2021

By admin | March 1, 2022

April 2021: COVID-19 surges, obstructions to information, coup violence, media convictions, and satire. Addressing India’s COVID-19 surge is made more difficult by authorities censoring information. Myanmar’s junta has resorted to publishing wanted lists, targeting journalists. A satirical playlist led to the brief incarceration of an artist in Malaysia. And Hong Kong’s first conviction around a […]

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How ‘ako chamber’ diminishes us all, including our activism

By admin | February 27, 2022

Published by Bulatlat The fun of being in an echo chamber ends the moment we realize it distorts our knowledge of the world. It could take some time and a lot of reflection before we recognize how our online experience is filtered by biases which could prevent us from making good use of the power […]

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IFEX Asia brief: January, February, March 2021

By admin | December 26, 2021

New year in Asia-Pacific: Crackdown, state of emergency, and harsh prison convictions. Positive developments in the region such as prison releases and the outlawing of the “virginity test” were overshadowed by mass arrests in Hong Kong, an absurdly long prison term handed out to a Thai elderly woman for “insulting” the king, the silencing of […]

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The Nobel Peace Prize and Free Speech in the Philippines

By admin | December 19, 2021

Written for The Diplomat The awarding of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize to journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov highlighted the role of independent media outlets in challenging authoritarian governments around the world. In the case of the Philippines, it put a spotlight on how truth-seekers like Ressa have stood their ground in the face […]

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Activism as cure to information disorder

By admin | December 4, 2021

Published by Bulatlat When the Dolomite beach scandal trended online, there was speculation that authorities deliberately planned it to distract public attention from the bigger PhilHealth corruption mess. It is plausible given our history of government manipulation of public opinion for insidious ends. But if this was the work of a fixer, he or she […]

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IFEX Regional Briefs: November and December 2020

By admin | October 29, 2021

November 2020: Media killings, zines promoting women’s empowerment, and the dangers of criticizing monarchies. Six journalists were killed in November across the Asia-Pacific. The past month also saw the further erosion of civic space in Thailand and Malaysia where citizens faced persecution for speaking out about the royal family in their respective countries. Opposition legislators […]

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On fake Facebook accounts

By admin | October 9, 2021

Published by Bayan Metro Manila The proliferation of fake Facebook accounts is meant to derail the growing public opposition against the draconian Terror Bill. It is a crackdown targeting critics of the bill, activists, and Facebook users who are tagged in the arbitrary cyber dragnet unleashed by state operatives. Those whose accounts were duplicated either […]

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IFEX Asia -Pacific Regional Brief: August, September, October 2020

By admin | July 31, 2021

August 2020: #AttacksWontSilenceUs: Resisting media raids, internet shutdown, and online violence in Hong Kong, Kashmir, and Pakistan. The democratic space continues to shrink in Hong Kong, Kashmir marks a year of losing its special autonomy status while internet connections are still restricted, India bans Chinese apps including TikTok, Thailand has started arresting student activists, and […]

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Shutdown Duterte’s tyranny

By admin | June 30, 2021

Published by Bayan Metro Manila We are one with all groups calling for the shutdown of Duterte’s tyrannical rule. We hold Duterte accountable for the sudden closure of broadcasting network ABS-CBN. His intent is not merely to intimidate the family which owns the company but to silence the media and deter other dissenting voices from […]

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