UN expert urged to probe continued assaults on free speech under Marcos

MANILA, Philippines — Press freedom advocates and rights defenders on Tuesday raised the lack of meaningful improvements to the state of free expression under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ahead of a United Nations independent expert’s 10-day visit to the Philippines.

Emphasizing that “all is not well” with the human rights situation in the Philippines, various groups have called on Irene Khan, the United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, to probe the state-sponsored attacks that continue to back media workers, indigenous people’s groups and other minorities into a corner. 

Khan will be visiting the country from January 23 to February 2 to take stock of the Philippines' state of free speech and press freedom. She is set to be the fifth UN envoy to tour the country to gather information about its human rights situation.

“Khan’s visit is important because we need to tell the world that all is not well in the Philippines,” Karapatan Secretary-General Cristina Palabay said at a press conference.

“During the president’s jet-setting trips, he often says: ‘I’m better than my father. I’m better than all of the monsters combined.’ But things have not changed at all,” Palabay said, adding that rights groups would attest to seeing worsening attacks on free speech “on the ground.”

Palabay said that the worsening state of free speech under the Marcos administration has been due to the continued use of “vicious” policies to violate people’s human rights, including their freedom of expression and opinion.

Palabay also noted that the recently launched Fight to Express Network has submitted 40 “inputs” or reports to Khan that detail the human rights violations experienced by different sectors, including farmers, fisher groups, teachers, health workers, members of the clergy and other victims of rights abuses.

“This is no small feat,” Palabay said. “So yes, we are ready.”

Media group National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) has documented at least 109 incidents of attacks and threats against media workers during the Marcos presidency -- 47% higher compared to the same period under Marcos' predecessor, former President Rodrigo