Philippines / Asia

Bangkok, May 2, 2025—Philippine authorities must launch a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of veteran journalist and publisher Juan “Johnny” Dayang, who was shot dead in his home on Tuesday evening, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. “The fatal shooting of Juan Dayang, one of the Philippines’ most prominent news publishers, shows that…

The Committee to Protect Journalists and a group of Southeast Asian lawmakers have called for the “active engagement” of the regional bloc ASEAN in protecting press freedom and the formation of an inter-parliamentary alliance to safeguard media rights in the region, which includes some of the worst offenders of press freedom. As governments escalate efforts…

Bangkok, April 4, 2025—Philippine prosecutors must redouble their efforts to locate, arrest, and convict those responsible for the fatal shooting of journalist Juan Jumalon while live broadcasting from his home-based radio station, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. In a 33-page ruling dated March 18, Regional Trial Court Judge Michael Ajoc acquitted three suspects…

The Committee to Protect Journalists on Monday joined four press freedom organizations in urging Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and its Department of Justice to end the detention of community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, who has been behind bars for more than five years. The groups said in a joint statement, led by CPJ, that the 26-year-old…

Bangkok, January 30, 2025—Philippine authorities must drop the terrorism financing charges pending against journalist Deo Montesclaros and stop using legal threats to intimidate the media, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On January 10, the northern Cagayan Provincial Prosecutor’s Office sent Montesclaros a legal notice alleging that he provided supplies to the banned New…

Editor’s note: CPJ has not added this killing to our database as we only document work-related or possibly work-related killings, and this journalist’s death was later confirmed not to be work-related. Bangkok, October 23, 2024—Philippine authorities must launch a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of radio anchor Maria Vilma Rodriguez, who was shot three…

New York, September 11, 2024—A coalition of three international press freedom organizations on Wednesday called for a swift and impartial trial after fugitive ex-governor Joel T. Reyes surrendered to authorities in connection with the 2011 murder of Philippine broadcast journalist Gerry Ortega. “This is long overdue. Former governor Joel T. Reyes has evaded justice for…

Chiang Mai, August 9, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes a Philippine court decision reversing a 2018 regulator’s order to shut down the independent news site Rappler, which was co-founded in 2012 by Nobel laureate Maria Ressa and reported critically on former President Rodrigo Duterte. “The Court of Appeal’s decision to void a 2018 government agency shutdown…

Bangkok, May 8, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists commends the conviction and sentencing of Joel Escorial, who confessed to shooting dead Philippine journalist Percival Mabasa in 2022. On Monday, May 6, Harold Cesar Huliganga, presiding judge at the Regional Trial Court Branch 254 in the city of Las Piñas, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) south…

Philippine journalist Gerardo “Gerry” Ortega vowed he wouldn’t let the death threats stop him from using his radio show to expose corruption on the country’s idyllic tropical island of Palawan. “I am like a lone flame of a candle in a big dark room. I can’t light the whole room but I light a small…