The Commission on Human Rights has expressed its full support to the passage of House Bill 454 or the Media Workers' Welfare Act on its final reading at the House of Representatives.

The proposed measure seeks to provide regularization to media employees after six cumulative months of employment with adequate compensation and includes basic social security and welfare benefits as mandated by law, disability benefit, medical insurance, and death benefit for the family in case a media worker dies in the line of duty.

The CHR said that the provisions are in accordance with Article XIII, Section 3 of the 1987 Constitution, which guarantees workers' rights to security of tenure, humane conditions of work, and a living wage.

"Enhancing media workers' welfare is a step towards strengthening the Fourth Pillar of our democracy, CHR also acknowledges the bills' measure on the responsibility of media entities in terms of possible gross negligence or malicious acts of block timers and media workers, we hope that this bolsters the culture of due diligence and truth-telling amid threats of disinformation," said the CHR.

The commission also echoed the recommendation of the United Nations Human Rights Committee to refrain from prosecuting and imprisoning journalists, media workers, and other civil society actors, through the use of criminal and civil legal actions, as a means of deterring or discouraging them from freely expressing their opinions.

It also looks forward to the proposed creation of a News Media Tripartite Council under the bill, which will serve as a platform for dialogue between media workers and their employers.