Sign-on to our statement here.

For 21 years, Pinoy Weekly has given space for the narratives of the oppressed. We are an alternative media outfit for the disenfranchised who cannot find their voices in mainstream media in the Philippines. 

For over a year now, the websites of 28 organizations, including two independent media outlets Pinoy Weekly and Bulatlat, have been blocked by the Philippine government. National security officials have denied the Filipino public access to the Pinoy Weekly website, because we published stories of ordinary Filipinos opposing the regime of then-President Rodrigo Duterte.

The domain name system (DNS) blocking is a prolonged attack on press freedom. The Duterte government may have started this act of censorship but the new administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has upheld it. Despite widespread clamor to unblock these sites, the Marcos government insists on stifling fearless reporting.

Marcos takes cue from his father, the late dictator, in declaring a de facto martial law online and offline. It coincides with the alarming growth of state violence perpetrated against critics since he came into power in June 2022.  

Pinoy Weekly is one of a kind, printing issues and distributing them freely to many marginalized communities. The entire organization is volunteer run and survives on the diligence of its patrons and the determination of its staff. 

At present, the Philippines is one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists. The country ranked 132nd out of 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index tallied by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Pinoy Weekly has survived attacks by the state in the past. In 2020, the police seized hundreds of Pinoy Weekly copies branding it subversive material. Its editors have also braved through malicious charges by the state.

This type of censorship is both a continuing affront and a dangerous precedent for media practitioners seeking the truth in an age rife with disinformation. The Marcos government in particular has been a constant culprit in promoting self-serving narratives and harmful lies in place of genuine reporting.

We thank the many media organizations and colleagues throughout the country who have stood alongside us to assert the legitimacy of our organization. 

We must continue to oppose crimes against free expression in one country as we combat it globally. We must not allow crackdowns on our rights to persist with such impunity.

We call on fellow practitioners, rights defenders, believers of free speech and democracy advocates worldwide to link arms and demand the Philippine government unblock the Pinoy Weekly website and the 27 other sites named in its orders.

We demand an end to the suppression of press freedom in the Philippines. We demand that the rights of journalists everywhere are upheld.

—
Initial Signatories
Pinoy Weekly
PinoyMedia Center
Altermidya Network
UP Cinema Arts Society
Manila Today
Tudla Productions
College Editors Guild of the Philippines
Philippine Collegian
UP Diliman College of Mass Communication Student Council
Tinig ng Plaridel
UP Communication Research Society
Sining Bugkos
UGATLahi Artist Collective
Musicians for Peace
Liga ng Kabataang Propagandista
College Editors Guild of the Philippines-Southern Tagalog
Center for Nationalist Studies-National Capital Region
College Editors Guild of the Philippines-National Capital Region
Tinig Official Student Publications
Union of Journalists of the Philippines-UP
UE Dawn

Sign-on to our statement here.