The Philippines is a country that struggles to uphold freedom of the press. From the 2019 world press freedom index by Reporters Without Borders, the country was placed 134 out of total 180 countries.
The current president, Rodrigo Duterte, has no tolerance for the media putting him in a bad light. Along with his short-tempered staff, they threaten and silence the media with fear. They have several ways of silencing anyone who is too critical of the government’s actions. This is all done with complete impunity.
As many as three journalists have already been killed in 2019. Anyone who is too critical of the government could be a target. The journalists are assassinated, most likely by associates of politicians. These assassinations is a way for politicians to supress the media into silence using fear.
The country has some government- run media outlets, which gives them the potential to change public opinion. Although there are a high number of free media outlets, the Philippine media is still run by the economic and political elite.
Isak's blog 