NSC denies freedom of expression suppression

The National Security Council (NSC) refuted an international non-governmental organization (NGO) report accusing the Philippine government of restricting freedom of expression in the country.

NSC spokesperson assistant girector general Jonathan Malaya said that Amnesty International (AI) provided a “one-sided portrayal,” failing to account for the administration of President Marcos Jr.’s efforts to protect freedom of speech and the press.

“We take very strong exception to the one-sided, misleading and baseless report of Amnesty International for making rash judgments about the Marcos Jr. administration, which are so far removed from reality,” Malaya said in a statement on Wednesday.  

Malaya also denied that the government is leading a “coordinated campaign” against human rights defenders to stifle dissent and freedom of expression in the Philippines.

“Freedom of expression in the Philippines is constitutionally protected, as evidenced by the robust and healthy traditional and social media environment where opinions are expressed freely every single day,” Malaya said.  

In AI’s latest report released on 14 October, the AI said the government authorities supposedly weaponized digital tools, misinformation and vague anti-terror laws against young activists, “including those who investigate alleged human rights violations by the military, police and other government agencies.”

The report titled “I Turned My Fear into Courage: Red-tagging and State Violence against young human rights defenders in the Philippines” offered an overview of how the Marcos administration engages in “red-tagging,” a practice where leading political figures and state security officials vilify human rights activists and other perceived opponents of the state as alleged “Communist rebels” and “terrorists.”

“Activists and other critical voices are being red-tagged and identified as targets by the government and then pursued online. However, in the Philippines, the issue is not only about online harassment; it also results in tangible harm offline,” Amnesty Tech director Damini Satija said.

The AI also pointed out how the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), a government task force established in 2018 to end communist insurgency in the country, allegedly resorted to red-tagging through Facebook posts and press statements despite Marcos Jr. administration’s attempts to present itself as “more respectful of human rights.”

The NTF-ELCAC, according to AI, shares numerous posts and press statements on its Facebook page, many of which wrongly vilify young activists as ‘terrorists’ or falsely accuse them of being associated with armed groups.