The undersigned members of the Media Freedom Coalition have issued the following statement concerning media freedom in the Philippines.
We are concerned by the increasing restrictions on freedom of the press in the Philippines, including the various charges against Maria Ressa and Reynaldo Santos, as well as the issue of renewal for the franchise of ABS-CBN.
Journalists and other media workers in the country are facing growing restrictions on the ability to do their work.
We encourage the Philippine authorities to investigate reports of harassment and crimes against journalists and other media workers.
Media freedom, both online and off-line, is an essential part of democracy, and journalists everywhere should be able to report freely and without fear of reprisal. We remain committed to working with the Philippines to ensure that the rule of law and th eprotection of a free press are upheld.
Signed:
Canada
France
Finland
Germany
Latvia
The Netherlands
Switzerland
United Kingdom.
