As the campaign period for the May 2025 midterm elections draws near, the Movement for Media Safety Philippines calls on both national and local government units, the Commission on Elections, all aspiring candidates and their political parties, as well as law enforcement officials to ensure safe and unhampered media coverage.
It is in the interest of all stakeholders — from government to candidates to Filipino voters — to protect the safety and rights of journalists and media workers covering the midterm polls. A safe media environment is crucial to ensuring clean, credible, and orderly elections.
Attacks on journalists are considered violations of the media’s role under the Fair Election Act or Republic Act 9006, the Omnibus Election Code, or the Revised Penal Code, as the case may be.
We call on members of the media to report any act of threat, harassment, illegal detention, torture, or physical violence during the election coverage to mediasafetyph@gmail.com or to the NUJP Safety Hotline 09602784263.
Signed:
Institutions
- Asian Center for Journalism (ACFJ)
- Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC)
- Center for Community Journalism and Development (CCJD)
- Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR)
- College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP)
- Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP)
- Freedom for Media Freedom for All (FMFA) Coalition
- International Association for Women in Radio and Television-Philippines (IAWRT)
- MindaNews
- Movement for the Safety and Welfare of Women Journalists (We-Move)
- National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)
- Peace and Conflict Journalism Network (PECOJON)
- Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)
- Philippine Press Institute (PPI)
- Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines (PCP)
- University of the Philippines College of Media and Communication (UP CMC)
News networks, outlets
- AlterMidya
- Balikas News Network
- Bukidnon News.net
- Bulatlat
- Cordillera News Agency
- Gold Star Daily
- Herald Express
- Kodao Productions
- Lucena Herald
- Mindanao Times
- Newscore
- Northern Dispatch
- Palawan News
- Rappler
- Sunday Punch
- Sunstar Davao
- The Ilocos Times
- The Wednesday Herald
Press councils
- Batangas Media-Citizen Council (BMCC)
- Cagayan de Oro Press Club
- Central Luzon Media-Citizen Council (CLMCC)
- Davao City Media-Citizen Council (DCMCC)
- Filipino Freelance Journalists’ Guild
- Iloilo Media-Citizen Council (IMCC)
- Kordilyera Media-Citizen Council (KMCC)
- Media Association of Sorsogon
Individual journalists
- Edalyn B. Acta (The Capiz Times Publishing)
- Jun N. Aguirrre (Boracay Island News Network)
- Julie Alipala (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
- Francis Allan L. Angelo (DailyGuardian)
- Jennifer Aquino (Probe Productions)
- Ricky Bautista (The Samar Chronicle)
- Che de los Reyes (International Media Support)
- Marchel Espina
- Mildred Galarpe (SunStar Cebu)
- Rey Garcia (Mindanao Observer)
- Alma Grafil (Leyte Samar Daily Express Inc.)
- Rex Maestrecampo (Panay News)
- Josephine M. Mendoza (Calbayog Journal)
- Atty. Ruevivar M. Reyes (Southern Leyte Times)
- Voltaire Tupaz (Fyt Media)
- Inday Espina-Varona
