The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Wednesday urged the government to take proactive measures to stop media attacks after threats against TV5’s Ed Lingao and Lourd de Veyra circulated online.
In a statement, the CHR said it had received reports involving online threats made against the two made by a Seth Corteza.
“Based on initial review, an individual named Seth Corteza claimed that the two would allegedly be the next victims of assassination; referencing to the fatal ambush of the late radio broadcaster Percival ‘Percy Lapid’ Mabasa,” he said.
Lapid, a broadcaster critical of the Duterte and Marcos Jr. administrations, was gunned down by two men while he was on his way home.
The CHR said it would not condone nor take lightly any “threats or any allusions to harm the lives of journalists, regardless if such statements are deliberate or cursory.”
“Once again, we stress the undeniable and vital role of the media in helping the Filipino citizenry obtain timely and accurate information imperative to the realisations of their rights. Any attempts to silence the press—particularly by creating a culture of fear and violence—directly impacts democracy and the human rights situation in the country,” it said.
“The [CHR] calls on the government to address these violations and take proactive measures to stop media attacks. We look forward to their efforts to look into this matter and similar cases of media rights violations committed in the country. CHR hopes for genuine justice and the end of impunity,” it added. John Ezekiel J. Hirro