CABANATUAN CITY—The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) released a statement on Wednesday, June 22, about the National Telecommunication Commission’s (NTC) blocking of Bulatlat, Pinoy Weekly, and other alternative news sites for being linked with and supporting the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), the New People’s Army (NPA), and the National Democratic Front (NDF).

“The NTC blocking was done on the recommendation of the National Security Council based on government resolutions designating the CPP, NPA, and NDF as terrorist groups,” NUJP said in a statement.

According to the statement, the newsrooms were not notified and were not given an opportunity to respond to the NSC’s ‘reckless’ allegations.

Altermidya—a network of independent and progressive media outfits, institutions, and individuals—also released a statement of support to Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly.

“Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly are both award-winning news outfits that have fearlessly reported on issues that those in power would rather not see reported. Both outfits are pioneers and are considered pillars of the alternative media in the Philippines for tirelessly covering the stories of the marginalized sectors,” the statement reads.

The NUJP said that blocking access to these sites disrupts the flow of information and emphasizes the Anti-Terrorism Law’s concerns about freedom of expression and the press. 

“We have repeatedly warned against the dangers of red-tagging and how the practice paints groups and people as legitimate targets for threats, harassment, and physical attacks,” the NUJP said. According to them, this labeling, in the form of an official government document, further magnifies that danger.

The NUJP also added that the National Security Council came up with a different approach to identifying these organizations without offering any evidence to support their allegations that Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly are affiliates and supporters of the above-mentioned so-called terrorist organizations.

The NUJP, Altermidya Network, and other media outlets call on the NTC and NSC to reconsider the inclusion of news sites and websites of activist groups in their supposed list. They also call on the journalist community, advocates of press freedom and freedom of expression, and the general public to join in condemning this flagrant violation of press freedom. 

The NUJP also submitted a petition to the Supreme Court on the prospect that the Anti-Terror Law would be used as an all-encompassing tool to pursue any type of dissent.
“What we feared, and what the government assured would not happen, has happened,” the NUJP said in a Tweet.