ILOILO City – Journalists in Iloilo and Western Visayas continue to face threats, political intimidation, and labor conditions that endanger both press freedom and democratic accountability, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) Iloilo Chapter warned as it marked World Press Freedom Day on May 3.
In a statement, NUJP-Iloilo called for stronger protection mechanisms, fair labor standards, and accountability in attacks against media workers.
“Press freedom cannot exist without safety, dignity, and economic security for media workers,” the group said.
Since its revival in October 2025, NUJP-Iloilo said it has documented persistent threats against journalists in Western Visayas, including legal harassment, online attacks, and political intimidation.
According to the group, these conditions continue to weaken independent journalism and undermine the democratic role of the press.
NUJP-Iloilo also paid tribute to RJ Nichole Ledesma, a community journalist from Negros Occidental who was killed on April 19, 2026, in Toboso town during an encounter between government troops and suspected communist rebels.
The chapter described the incident as part of a disturbing pattern of violence confronting journalists, especially those covering grassroots issues and local power structures.
“RJ’s death is not an anomaly, but part of a continuing pattern of danger faced by community journalists whose work often brings them closer to local power structures and underreported realities,” the statement read.
The group said the incident highlighted long-standing concerns that attacks against journalists in the Philippines can escalate from harassment and legal pressure into deadly violence.
It also raised concern over what it described as delayed and uneven accountability in cases involving violence against media workers.
NUJP-Iloilo said the threats faced by journalists are compounded by poor economic conditions in the media industry, including low wages, contractual employment arrangements, job instability, and the absence of adequate safety nets.
“These dangers are inseparable from the economic realities of the media sector,” the statement said.
As World Press Freedom Day coincided with the broader Labor Day observance, the chapter underscored that labor rights are inseparable from press freedom.
“Journalists cannot defend democracy while struggling with economic insecurity,” the group said.
“A free press requires not only protection from violence and harassment, but also fair compensation, stable employment, and working conditions that allow journalists to report without fear or deprivation.”
The organization called on media companies, government agencies, and stakeholders to strengthen safety measures for journalists, improve protection against harassment and legal intimidation, and implement reforms addressing the economic welfare of media workers.
It likewise urged authorities to ensure swift and transparent accountability in all cases involving attacks against journalists.
“Without accountability, impunity becomes the default condition of press work in the country,” NUJP-Iloilo said. “Press freedom must be viewed not only as a democratic right, but also as a labor right, and it is only fair to defend it as both.”/PN
