Philippines welcomes UN rapporteur on free expression
The government welcomed yesterday United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression Irene Khan and promised her full support “in the spirit of openness and cooperation.”.....»»
Probe free speech violations, UN rapporteur urged
Various groups yesterday urged United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion Irene Khan to investigate violations on Filipinos’ rights to free speech and expression during her upcoming visit next week......»»
Significance of the country visit of UN SR for free expression and opinion to the PH
Human rights group emphasized the importance UN Special Rapporteur's visit, adding that this is the chance to show the international community that all is not well in the Philippines, and how current government policies, laws and programs have led to killings and various forms of human rights violations. The post Significance of the country visit of UN SR for free expression and opinion to the PH appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
UN rapporteur, CHR discuss expression rights, impact on marginalized
Khan, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, and the CHR officials discussed Tuesday how these affect various sectors, particularly the marginalized. .....»»
Free expression under attack, artist groups urge UN to probe PH laws
“Our gravest concern now is the new policies which attack freedom of expression: specifically the Anti-Terror Law and Executive Order 70 which created the NTF-ELCAC. This emboldened state actors, such as the police and military to commit abuses on a scale last seen during the first Marcos administration.” The post Free expression under attack, artist groups urge UN to probe PH laws appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
UN special rapporteur Khan arrives in the Philippines
United Nations special rapporteur Irene Khan has arrived in the Philippines on Monday to embark on a 10-day visit to assess the state of free expression and press freedom in the Philippines......»»
Red-tagging hobbles free expression and opinion
Freedom of expression and opinion in the Philippines is seriously hampered by the practice of red-tagging, according to Irene Khan, United Nations Special Rapporteur, who wound up a 10-day official visit to the Philippines yesterday......»»
UN expert calls for abolition of NTF-ELCAC, tolerance of PH gov’t to dissent
“The whole concept of freedom of expression is to be able to say what you want even if it offends the other side. The government should encourage a greater culture of tolerance.” -- Special Rapporteur on Free Expression and Opinion Irene Khan The post UN expert calls for abolition of NTF-ELCAC, tolerance of PH gov’t to dissent appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
United Nations rapporteur urges NTF-ELCAC abolition; government says no
Following her 10-day official visit to the Philippines, United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression Irene Khan on Friday urged the government to abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), which she said will address red-tagging and allow for more inclusive peace-making platforms in the country......»»
UN rapporteur to gov t: Repeal Anti-Terror Law, Cybercrime Prevention Act
Khan called these “laws of concern” that threaten the freedom of expression in the Philippines despite the Constitution’s guarantee of the right to freedom of expression......»»
SC justices, UN rapporteur discuss anti-terrorism law
The country’s Anti-Terrorism Act was among the topics discussed during the meeting of Supreme Court justices, led by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, with United Nations Special Rapporteur for freedom of opinion and expression Irene Khan......»»
UN rapporteur asks DOJ about red-tagging, killings
Concerns on red-tagging, media killings and impunity were raised by United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion Irene Khan during her meeting with Department of Justice officials yesterday......»»
UN Special Rapporteur Khan to meet Northern, Central Luzon CSOs in Baguio
UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan will meet with members of civil society organizations from Northern and Central Luzon provinces in Baguio City on Friday......»»
Rights groups score gov t for ‘whitewashing’ abuses ahead of UN rapporteur visit
Karapatan said on Sunday that even as the government has publicly welcomed the visit of the UN rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, it has also “disregarded, shrugged off, and rejected” previous findings by UN special rapporteurs on the country’s human rights situation......»»
STATEMENT | Bulatlat reminds Philippine military of culpability in cyber-attacks and misinformation
Bulatlat maintains that these so-called “cyber security” efforts could mean online surveillance, distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks, “fake news” and other forms of attacks aimed to suppress freedom of the press and of expression, as well as the people’s right to information. This issue was brought to the attention of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan who will hold her official country visit next week. The post STATEMENT | Bulatlat reminds Philippine military of culpability in cyber-attacks and misinformation appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
‘Media is a public good:’ Closure of CNN Philippines draws concerns from UN expert
The United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion said that the recent closure of CNN Philippines is a "worrying sign" for media freedom in the country......»»
10th ID bashes Canadian gov’t for travel advisory vs Mindanao
The 10th Infantry Agila Division (10ID) of the Philippine Army criticized the Canadian government for issuing a travel advisory against all parts of Mindanao, which includes their area of responsibility. Major Mark Anthony Tito, spokesperson for the 10th ID, emphasized that the regions under their jurisdiction are peaceful and free from terrorism and violent threats, contrary to the Canadian embassy's advisory. The division oversees 12 provinces, seven cities, and 72 municipalities in various parts of Mindanao. Tito expressed bewilderment at the basis of the travel advisory, asserting that the Canadian government lacks awareness of the actual situation on the ground. He highlighted the peaceful nature of the entire Davao Region throughout 2023, with no recorded incidents of terrorism or insurgency. Despite the exclusion of Davao City from the advisory, Tito noted that the region would still be impacted. The Canadian embassy's advisory warned its citizens to avoid visiting Mindanao due to ongoing terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, high levels of violence, and encounters between rebel forces and government security authorities. Specific provinces and regions were singled out for caution or non-essential travel, including Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, and Eastern Mindanao. Contrary to the advisory, the 10th ID has been actively weakening and eliminating guerilla forces within its jurisdiction as part of the Philippine Army's efforts to establish an insurgency-free zone. In fact, on October 27, 2023, the Davao Region celebrated its first anniversary as an insurgency-free region in the Philippines. This dispute has led to other related stories, including the Chamber's intention to engage in discussions with the Canadian government regarding the travel advisory, as well as refutations from the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and celebrations of the Davao Region's insurgency-free status by the Regional Peace and Order Council. In summary, the 10th ID vehemently opposes the Canadian government's travel advisory, citing the peaceful and secure nature of the regions under their jurisdiction, and highlighting the significant strides made in eradicating insurgency in the Davao Region......»»
Groups to UN rapporteur: Urge PH gov’t to stop censorship, repeal terror law
“What we do is amplify the voices of the Filipino people. We are defending the truth and the rights yet we are the one being oppressed of these rights." The post Groups to UN rapporteur: Urge PH gov’t to stop censorship, repeal terror law appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Persistent attacks tackled in meeting with UN Special Rapporteur
Persistent attacks tackled in meeting with UN Special Rapporteur.....»»
UN rapporteur urged to investigate government s use of trolls
A House minority lawmaker has called on a visiting United Nations special rapporteur to probe the government’s alleged use of “trolls” or anonymous accounts for propaganda......»»
SC allows UN expert to act as friend of the court in Maria Ressa s cyber libel plea
Irene Khan, United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur for freedom of expression and opinion, has been allowed by the Supreme Court (SC) to sit as an "amicus curiae" to the court in the appeal for the cyber libel case of Rappler.com chief executive officer Maria Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos......»»