The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) have formalised a landmark partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on 27 August 2025 at the CHR Central Office in Quezon City. The agreement seeks to bolster efforts to safeguard the rights of media workers amid persistent threats, harassment, and violence faced by journalists in the country.
The landmark agreement was signed by CHR Chairperson Richard P. Palpal-latoc, who is also the Chair of the CHR Expanded Task Force on Media-Related Killings, and PTFoMS Executive Director Undersecretary Jose A. Torres Jr.
CHR Commissioner Beda A. Epres, who heads the Investigation Component of the said CHR Expanded Task Force, was also present to serve as witness to the signing, alongside Ann Lourdes Lopez of the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication representing the media sector.
The latest World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders shows the Philippines climbing to 116th out of 180 countries from 134th last year [1]. Despite this improvement, CHR noted that media workers still face serious challenges, including harassment, intimidation, red-tagging, online abuse, cyber harassment, and, in some cases, incidents resulting in loss of life.
The partnership between CHR and PTFoMS underscores the shared commitment of both institutions to uphold press freedom, as enshrined in Article III, Section 4 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which guarantees the freedoms of speech, expression, and the press.
The MOA also builds on previous collaborative efforts, including the 2023 National Media Forum organised by CHR, which gathered media organisations and government agencies to address pressing concerns faced by the media community. The forum resulted in a strong call for institutional cooperation between CHR and PTFoMS, now realised through this agreement.
The agreement outlines key objectives, including the exchange of information for swift response to threats, stronger investigations into rights violations, and enhanced cooperation in case build-up to ensure accountability. It also provides financial assistance to affected media workers and establishes a policy platform that integrates human rights standards into media security efforts, fostering a safer environment for journalists.
The partnership also aligns with the Philippine Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists (PPASJ), by seeking to advance protection mechanisms; reinforce the justice system; and, fulfill the partnership dimension of its 4Ps framework through the CHR-PTFoMS cooperation.
In his keynote message, CHR Chairperson Richard P. Palpal-latoc underscored the vital role of media security in safeguarding democracy and the truth. “Journalists and media workers play an indispensable role in upholding transparency, demanding accountability, and giving voice to the most vulnerable. When their safety is threatened, when their rights are undermined, the rule of law is tested, and we must rise to its defense,” the Chairperson said.
PTFoMS Executive Director Jose A. Torres Jr. also highlighted the importance of closer institutional collaboration. “Implementation of this agreement will require sustained attention, courage, and collaboration from all of us. Let us hold one another to the promises we make today: to act quickly when danger strikes, to investigate thoroughly when violence occurs, to support survivors with compassion, and to remove the structural faults that allow attacks on journalists to persist,” he emphasised.
By fortifying safeguards for press freedom, the agreement strengthens the public’s right to information, protects the principle of truth-telling, and helps ensure that issues affecting Filipino communities are reported freely, without fear or favour. ###
Reference:
[1] RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025: Philippines. https://rsf.org/en/country/philippines