In June, more than two dozen sites were blocked and accused of having links to

“Communist-Terrorist Groups”. Two media organisations were among those targeted by the
National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) – independent news site Pinoy Weekly, and
Bulatlat, the country’s longest-running online publication. The same month, the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC) upheld its ruling to revoke the operating licence of Rappler, the
Philippines’ most popular news site. Duterte’s National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon
Jr cited resolutions from the Anti-Terror Council that designate the Communist Party of the
Philippines as “terrorists” to crack down on the sites. But Ronalyn Olea, secretary-general of the
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and the managing editor of Bulatlat, says the
publication has no such links. “This has nothing to do with Bulatlat,” Olea told Al Jazeera. “He is
just trying to censor our organisation because we are telling the truth about government.” This
month, Bulatlat won a preliminary injunction against the order and the NTC was told to stop
blocking the site. “Under Duterte, press freedom was systematically attacked as punishment to
those the regime didn’t like and as a warning to others. There are no signs this policy will
change with the new administration,” said Luis V Teodoro, veteran journalist and Center for
Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) trustee. Towards the end of his term, Duterte
admitted to shutting down ABS-CBN, the Philippines’ biggest broadcaster, because of its
unfavourable coverage of his administration. Rappler, which was founded by veteran journalist
Maria Ressa, is facing a number of court cases, as does Ressa herself. The Nobel Peace Prize
laureate was found guilty of “cyber-libel” last year in a decision that was seen as a blow to press
freedom. A higher court upheld that verdict last month.