Castro: Press freedom index shows gov鈥檛 not leaning towards dictatorship
Presidential Press Officer Claire Castro. Screengrab from RTVM/FACEBOOK
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ improved ranking in the World Press Freedom Index is proof that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is “not gearing towards dictatorship,” a Palace official said on Monday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said this in response to a report released by Reporters Without Borders on May 2, which showed that the country climbed to 116th place this year from 134th last year out of 180 countries in terms of the degree of freedom available to journalists.
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The ranking was the Philippines’ highest position in more than two decades.
“Definitely that’s good news. The president is delighted with the latest ranking of the Philippines relation to its upholding of press freedom, okay. It shows that the president respects one’s rights of expression and the responsible journalism,” Castro said.
“So, it’s good that the president is showing that he is not gearing towards dictatorship. We can see that freedom of the press is being upheld at present,” she added in Filipino.
‘Doubling down’
Castro also reiterated Marcos’ 2024 promise that his administration is “doubling down” on its commitment to protect journalists and promote press freedom.
Meanwhile, in a press release, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS) said the country’s ranking is a boost to their efforts to address media-related threats and attacks.
“This progress is a testament to our collective efforts in protecting press freedom. It demonstrates that our proactive initiatives are yielding results,” PTFOMS Executive Director Jose Torres Jr. said.
READ: Journalist killed at home in Kalibo
On April 29, a veteran journalist was shot dead by unknown assailants in his residence in Barangay Andagao in Iloilo City.
Juan “Johnny“ Dayang was declared dead on arrival when rushed to the hospital. He used to be the mayor of Kalibo town in Aklan.
The motive behind the attack is still being determined.
