(JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN)
President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 on July 3. The law took effect on July 18.
The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) said the illegal arrest of youth activists in Zambales and a journalist from CEGP Central Luzon on May 1 showed that the anti-terror law is “an assault to press and freedom of expression.”
Twelve activists, including youth leaders and a campus journalist, were arrested for allegedly failing to maintain social distancing inside a van while on their way to a Labor Day protest.
CEGP also condemned the red-tagging of campus journalists from Kabataang Mamamahayag ng Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Philippine Collegian, SINAG, University of the Philippines Solidaridad, and Ang Pahayagang Plaridel.
(Photo from AKM-PUP)
On February 5, the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court dismissed illegal firearms possession charges against Salem, editor of independent media Manila Today, stating that authorities had improperly used contradictory witness testimony to obtain the search warrant that led to her arrest on December 10.
Salem was arrested in her home in Mandaluyong during the commemoration of Human Rights Day.
In a statement, Alyansa ng Kabataang Mamamahayag ng PUP (AKM-PUP) said “no reason” could ever justify Salem’s continuous detainment.
“It is nothing but a chase against the truth-tellers, playing cat and mouse in the state’s pursuit to silence the critical independent journalists in their voyage to expose impunity,” the statement read.
(Photo from Tulong Kabataan – Sta. Mesa)
“Para sa may Altura lang!” is a collaboration between Alyansa ng Kabataang Mamamahayag, an alliance of students publications in PUP and Tulong Kabataan – Sta. Mesa.
Collected donations will be directly sent to Altura Market in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
CALL FOR DONATION: PARA SA MAY ALTURA LANG! Sa pagkabaldado ng ating ekonomiya, labis na nagdurusa ang anakpawis….Posted by Tulong Kabataan – Sta. Mesa on Friday, February 19, 2021
“Sa Altura Market, ramdam ng mga manininda ang mga epekto ng krisis, nariyan ang kahirapan sa pagtitinda at hindi nakakasapat ang kanilang kinikita para sa kanilang pamilya (In Altura Market, vendors feel the effects of the crisis, low pork sales, and not enough income for their family),” its statement read.