In The Hague, the 79-year-old former president will face charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his brutal war on drugs that killed tens of thousands.

“That man will never see the light of day [again],” former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who filed a communication along with then Magdalo Party list Rep. Gary Alejano against Duterte in the ICC in 2017, told CoverStory.ph on Wednesday morning. “We have seen the last of Duterte.”

Trillanes believes that the ICC, by issuing the arrest warrant for Duterte, had gathered ample documentary and testimonial evidence to convict the ex-president.

“It will go straight to trial because the Pre-Trial Chamber has already determined that the threshold of evidence is certainty of conviction,’’ he said via Zoom.

Duterte was arrested soon after he stepped off a plane from Hong Kong on Tuesday morning. He was whisked off to a holding room in nearby Villamor Air Base away from a crowd of supporters, and put on a chartered plane to The Hague 12 hours later.

He questioned the legality of his arrest. On Wednesday, his children petitioned the Supreme Court to order the government to immediately return him from The Hague and produce him in court.

Sufficient basis

In its warrant, the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber said it found sufficient basis to hold Duterte “individually responsible as an indirect co-perpetrator” for murder as a crime against humanity allegedly committed between Nov. 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019.

“The Chamber found that there was an attack directed against a civilian population pursuant to an organisational policy while Mr. Duterte was the head of the Davao Death Squad, and pursuant to a State policy while he was the President of the Philippines,” the ICC said.

The court’s Office of the Prosecutor filed an “urgent application” for a warrant on the grounds that Duterte was alleged liable for the crimes of murder, torture and rape. The pretrial court, however, dropped the allegations of rape and torture from the warrant for having insufficient basis.

Trillanes explained that the international tribunal issues an arrest warrant for an individual from a member-state based on “probable cause” because it expects cooperation from that state.

But in the case of Duterte, who is from a non-member-state, the court issued the warrant against him based on the assumption that “the evidence you have would be enough to guarantee conviction,’’ he said. 

The ICC set a “higher threshold of evidence’’ for persons accused of crimes from non-member-states like the Philippines because it assumes non-cooperation from that state, Trillanes said, adding:  

“As I have mentioned, the threshold of the ICC Prosecutor is certainty of conviction before they file the application for a warrant of arrest. That means they have enough to convict. That’s solid.”      

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had maintained that he does not recognize ICC’s jurisdiction in the Philippines, echoing assertions by Duterte and his camp. But Malacañang officials later said the government would cooperate with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) that served the warrant on Duterte on Tuesday morning.

On Duterte’s orders, the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute, the ICC’s legal foundation, in 2018. This took effect a year later. But the international court retained jurisdiction over the alleged crimes committed when the country was a member.

Conviction

Like Trillanes, Kristina Conti—who as an ICC assistant to counsel can help in investigations and trials pending before the court—is confident that the warrant for Duterte’s arrest would lead to his conviction. 

Conti said the international tribunal issued a pre-indictment warrant to ensure that Duterte appears before it and “to stand trial” for the crime he’s accused of. “It’s an official summons to stand trial, initially to answer questions of the court as regards your participation, but because it finds that you’re one of those who bear the greatest responsibilities,’’ she said in an interview.

When the Office of the Prosecutor applied for the warrant, it was sending the message, “We know we want to convict this person,” said Conti, who is also a lawyer for the families of victims of extrajudicial killings.   

“When you’re a lawyer, you prepare for trial until the end. And the end-point is conviction,” she added. “Some are asking: Is this the last time we’re going to see Duterte? It could be.”       

‘This is it’

On Wednesday, the kin of the victims of extrajudicial killings celebrated Duterte’s arrest and decried his attempt at playing victim during a joint conference at the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) chapel in Quezon City.

“Yesterday, I got a call telling me that Duterte has been arrested. I told myself, ‘This is it,’ but I was crying,” said Llore Pasco, who lost her two sons—Crisanto, 34, and Juan Carlos, 31—to gunmen on May 12, 2017. Their bodies were dumped at the UP Arboretum in Quezon City.  “But this is just the beginning. There’s a long struggle ahead of us,” she said.

Pasco said her sons’ names were taken out of their barangay’s drug watchlist even before Duterte was elected president in May 2016.

Jane Lee said she “jumped for joy” at the news of Duterte’s arrest, which came days before the death anniversary of her husband, Michael, 34. Michael was randomly shot dead by gunmen “riding in tandem” while he was waiting for his assigned jeepney on a road in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City, on the night of March 20, 2017.

“I was at work, and I wanted to go home right away to share the news with my children. I wanted to tell them that what we’ve been hoping for has finally happened,’’ she said, holding back tears.

Lee’s husband’s name was not on their barangay’s drug watchlist. Before him, a jeepney driver, a tricycle driver, a “barker” and a traffic enforcer had been waylaid, she said. 

“Whenever they say he (Duterte) is the victim, we are filled with anger. We’re the ones who experienced violence,’’ Lee said. “Now tell us, who is the real victim here? Because why do we need to do this, face the media and tell our stories again? It’s not easy.” 

‘Co-perpetrators’

Emily Soriano, whose 15-year-old son Angelito was among seven people killed inside a home in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City, on Dec. 28, 2016, said Duterte’s co-perpetrators, including then Philippine National Police chief and now Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, should also be held accountable.

“I won’t be satisfied if only Duterte will be held accountable. All of his co-perpetrators, including Bato, Bong Go and the policemen in the community, should be brought to justice, too,’’ Soriano said.

Duterte’s former long-time aide, Sen. Bong Go, brought an ambulance to the airport on Tuesday morning to pick up the ex-president who had a scheduled checkup at a hospital the following day. But police did not let him through.

After Duterte, the ICC would focus next on Dela Rosa, who enforced the antidrug campaign dubbed “Oplan Double Barrel” and offered rewards to policemen for every death, according to Trillanes.

“It will move to the next level of investigation of Bato dela Rosa. That was set aside because it was focused on Digong (Duterte). After that, some of its resources will now be shifted to pursuing the investigation against Bato,’’ the ex-senator said. 

Dela Rosa, a co-perpetrator in the cases filed in the ICC, said he would “ready” if a warrant is served on him. 

When Duterte is brought before the ICC, the charges against him will be read, as it is done during arraignment in Philippine courts. He will be detained throughout his trial, which can last from two to 10 years.

Duterte can move for an “interim release.” But Trillanes said this can be granted only if Duterte is found to be in “a life-threatening” medical condition. Conti said anyone can stand trial “for as long as you’re fit.”

Read more: Rodrigo Duterte arrested after arriving in Manila from Hong Kong

The post ‘We have seen the last of Duterte,’ says Trillanes appeared first on CoverStory.

Dear reader, citizen, fellow human,

2024 A.D. is testing our modern societies in ways we once hoped would never be repeated.

Autocratic regimes and aspiring dictators around the world have thrown a gauntlet to freedoms across borders, races and religions. Modern conflicts span the entire globe and are fought in an information expanse that is overwhelming in its reach and power. New technologies, and the platforms they enable, are battlefields on which our future is being decided—often without our permission and against our will.

In this maelstrom, it is journalism, fact-based, evidence-based credible news media, that has a lifelong duty to defend the self-evident values our civilization was built on. Worldwide, it is the journalists who live their responsibility to honor this sacred bond with our audiences and our communities. 

In return, we feel the joy of shared truth—with you. 

These special moments—when news stories save lives, improve understanding among people and guide us through rough times—are often lost in the avalanche of disinformation destroying trust, the bedrock of our ability to live together. Even the very meaning of Truth is under assault. 

Journalism everywhere is struggling to maintain its standing and relevance to our own communities, and for an alarming number of our news organizations, daily existence equals a struggle for bare survival.

These are indeed extraordinary times—worrying to the core to every soul that cares about people, civilization and democracy that made it all possible.

And yet, these troubled days are also exciting and scintillating at the same time. 

We, the news media of the world, in moments when systems are crumbling and foundational truths are under pressure, must show that we’re made of sterner stuff; the stuff that can withstand disinformation campaigns, sustained attacks, and a flood of falsehoods.

Our business models have crumbled under the pressure of Big Tech. Truth itself is being relativized daily; what once was a common understanding of material reality today is often supplanted by interpretation that’s fact-free. 

In many instances, the very form of the word Truth carries the meaning of Lie. 

These are not random, accidental attacks. These are all part of the crusade against our system of values, our basic understanding of what is good and bad. Without our system of values, if we can’t distinguish right from wrong, we have no civilization either.

Come September 28, every World News Day, we the news media organizations from around the world, join hands to reassure you of our undying commitment to News, Facts, Accountability, Public Service, Humanity, Scrutiny, Independence, Ethics & Community. These words have deep meaning.

They matter to us. 

There’s only one choice ahead of us: We, the news media, will continue to fulfill our sacred duty. The news we report will remain based in fact. We will defend Truth.

And we want to further assure you, dear reader, that it is our every intention to keep it that way. We will not tire, and we will not give up. The battle for Truth is the battle for our common future.

And to our colleagues everywhere in this troubled stretch of history, do not despair. You are not alone. Our mission ties us all together.

The noise and violence will eventually subside, and the discourse based on truth and decency will return. It may not happen soon, but it will happen eventually.

For now, we fight. Every moment of every hour of every day.

This 2024 World News Day, let us make sure we never forget why we’re here in the first place—and help keep the joy of shared truth with our readers our true North.

Branko Brkic is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Maverick and creator of Get Truth Campaign, South Africa. Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, is the CEO of Rappler.com.

The post 2024 World News Day: Joy of shared truth, sacred bond and democracies’ self-evident values appeared first on CoverStory.

The trend mirrors the global decline in traditional social media usage for news as detailed in the Reuters Institute Digital News Report (DNR) released on June 17.

This year’s report also highlights the rising popularity of short news videos, diminishing prominence of mainstream news media and journalists on many social media platforms, and continuing loss of interest in news, coupled with concerns over misinformation, despite stable trust levels in news.

The report also noted that internet users across 28 countries generally feel uneasy about content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) even with some human oversight. However, they are less uncomfortable with AI assisting journalists for such tasks as transcribing interviews or summarizing research materials, it said.

The 13th edition of DNR, regarded as the most comprehensive global study of news consumption trends, draws data from an online survey conducted in late January to early February with 94,943 adults across 47 media markets participating, including 2,104 Filipinos.

For the first time in the Philippines, usage of Facebook as a source of news has plummeted from 72% to 61% over the past year, a significant 11 percentage point drop well above the average 4-point decline across all markets. (DNR does not consider differences of +/- 2 points as meaningful.)

Facebook has been the dominant social media platform in the Philippine digital space with a 94.6% monthly login rate among active social media users, according to Meltwater, an online media monitoring company.

DNR 2024 also found Filipinos shifting away from other traditional social media platforms for news: YouTube down to 45% (-10 points), Facebook Messenger to 26% (-7 points) and X, formerly Twitter, to 9% (-7 points).

The decline of Facebook and YouTube is even more pronounced among Filipino news consumers aged 18 to 24. Facebook has slipped from  71% to 56% (-16 points) and YouTube from 47% to 33% (-14 points) over the same period.

Top social, messaging and video networks in the Philippines

In contrast, TikTok has gained further traction in the Philippines, with its use for news rising slightly from 21% to 23%, surpassing the 13% average across all markets.  This represents a 21-point increase since 2020 when only 2% of adult Filipinos used TikTok for news, placing the Philippines among the top 10 markets for TikTok as a news source. 

Filipinos aged 18 to 24 have logged a higher usage rate of TikTok, climbing from 3% in 2020 to 30% this year–a substantial 27-point increase.

Philippines among top 10 markets that used TikTok for news in the last week

The fragmentation in news consumption is driven by several factors, including the rise of video networks and private messaging apps that offer more personalized and engaging news experiences, according to DNR 2024.  

The decline in traditional social media’s role for news also coincides with ongoing “platform resets,” where legacy platforms like Meta (Facebook’s parent company) and X have been pivoting their focus from news and publishers to other content creators and types of engagement, it said.

“This more complicated platform ecosystem, the end of mass referrals from legacy social media, and growing competition for attention means journalists and publishers will have to work much, much harder to earn the public’s attention, let alone convince them to pay for news,” said Reuters Institute director Rasmus Nielsen. 

Online and social media remain the most popular sources of news in the Philippines, but the proportion of Filipinos who access news through online platforms, including social media, has decreased to 82% from the previous year’s 85%.  The reduction is higher for social media alone, with the share of news users falling 7 points over the past year to 63%.

TV news remains important for those who are not online, but its reach has contracted from 66% to 46% since 2020 when Congress chose not to renew the franchise of ABS-CBN Corp., forcing the country’s then biggest broadcast network to close its free radio and television operations.

ABS-CBN’s staggering financial losses have prompted recent partnerships with ALLTV, owned by business tycoon and former Senate president Manny Villar, and with Prime Media Holdings, associated with the family of Speaker Martin Romualdez, for its news programs. Earlier, it partnered with Zoe Broadcasting Network of Jesus is Lord Church.

Sources of news in the Philippines since 2020

Short online news videos have become increasingly popular, especially among younger Filipinos, data from DNR 2024 show, highlighting the shift toward more accessible and engaging formats. Eight in 10 respondents reported watching short news videos weekly, a much higher rate compared to two-thirds of the global sample.

Nine in 10 adult Filipinos prefer hard news over soft news (67%) for short online videos. International news (48%) is the most frequently watched topic, followed by entertainment and celebrity (46%), health and wellbeing and environment and climate (44%), national politics (43%), and crime and security and education ( 41%).

Social media remains the leading platform for watching online news videos, with Facebook being the most used in the Philippines (46%) followed by YouTube (28%)​. Only 9% said they have watched news videos on TikTok, 8% on news sites or apps and a mere 3% on X. However, Filipinos aged 18 to 24 access news videos more on TikTok (15%) and less on YouTube (20%).

DNR lead author Nic Newman said traditional media across markets have some catching up to do as consumers increasingly favor video.  “Many traditional newsrooms are still rooted in a text-based culture and are struggling to adapt their storytelling while the business side is also reluctant because the sums don’t add up,” he said.

The roles of online influencers and traditional journalists as news sources are likewise evolving rapidly. Across all markets, traditional news brands and journalists maintain a prominent position on platforms like Facebook and X, often ahead of influencers.

In the Philippines, the dynamics of news sources vary significantly.  Mainstream journalists and media are the leading news sources on X and YouTube (each at 53%). However, on Facebook, journalists (40%) are outpaced by influencers (47%) and celebrities (44%). On TikTok, influencers (49%) and celebrities (47%) dominate as news sources, while on Instagram, celebrities lead (60%).

This contrast is even more apparent among Filipinos aged 18-24, where journalists and news media mostly lead only on X. 

For this age group, the top three sources of news are also more diverse and include smaller or alternative media as well as politicians and political activists. For example, the proportion of those accessing alternative news media has increased to 35% on both YouTube (+16 points) and TikTok (+9 points). Accessing news through politicians and activists has risen 21 points to 48% on Instagram.

Proportion that pay attention to each for news on each platform in the Philippines, all ages

Proportion that pay attention to each for news on each platform in the Philippines, 18-24

Across 28 countries that were asked about artificial intelligence (AI),  awareness was notably higher among younger individuals, with 56% of respondents under 35 reporting substantial or moderate knowledge about AI.  In addition, 52% of men and 54% of those with higher education levels indicated similar familiarity.

There is greater discomfort with using AI-generated news for hard news topics like politics (46%), crime (43%) and local news (37%). Discomfort is lower for soft news subjects such as arts and culture, celebrity and entertainment (each 29%), and sports (27%).

Interest in news continues to decline, reflecting a broader trend of news fatigue and selective avoidance. In the Philippines, only 46% of respondents this year reported being extremely or very interested in news, down from 52% in 2023. It is more noticeable among younger consumers, with interest among 18- to 24-year-olds dropping by 9 points from the previous year to 34%.

Local news (45%) leads in capturing the interest of news users in the Philippines, followed closely by international news (43%) and news about the environment and climate change (41%). Sports (27%) and social justice topics such as race and gender inequality and rights (21%) draw less interest.

News avoidance remains prevalent, with 47% of respondents in the Philippines indicating that they sometimes or often avoid news, a figure higher than the global average of 39%. The proportion of Filipinos who share news has fallen 5 points to 42%.

This year’s DNR examined “user needs” in news, categorizing stories into four groups: knowledge (engage, update), understanding (educate, provide perspective), feeling (divert, inspire), and doing (connect, help). The top responses across all markets are staying updated (72% on average), gaining more knowledge about topics and events (67%), receiving different perspectives (64%), and obtaining practical information and advice for daily life (60%).

In the Philippines, the priorities are similar: staying updated (72%), gaining knowledge (69%), and receiving practical information (68%). But respondents placed greater importance on news that makes them feel better about the world (66%).

Most important user need, all markets 

Concerns about online misinformation have increased across all markets, with 59% of respondents worried about distinguishing real news from fake news, up 3 points from the previous year.

In the Philippines, this concern is greater, with 63% of Filipinos expressing worry about misinformation. Filipinos report encountering misinformation on various topics at rates higher than the global average: politics (49%), COVID-19 (36%), economics and cost of living (33%), other health issues (27%), and climate change or the environment (26%). The proportion of Filipinos who have seen false or misleading reports about the Israel-Palestine conflict (27%) matches the global average.

Despite the challenges, trust in news remains relatively stable. Thirty-seven percent of respondents in the Philippines trust most news most of the time, consistent with global trends​​. Many of the longest-established media brands also enjoy relatively high levels of trust. However, public trust alone does not necessarily indicate the quality or trustworthiness of the content.

Many respondents are also confident in their ability to distinguish trustworthy and untrustworthy news and information on online platforms, this year’s DNR said. In the Philippines, the proportion who say they find it easy to do so ranges from 41% to 68%.

Nonetheless, a considerable number of respondents also struggle to pick out trustworthy news, especially on TikTok and X, which are known for hosting misinformation or conspiracies​​ around stories such as the war in Gaza, as well as “‘deepfake” pictures and videos, the report noted. 

Proportion that find it difficult to identify trustworthy news on each platform in the Philippines

Yvonne T. Chua is an associate professor of journalism at the University of the Philippines. She has been writing the profile on the Philippines for the Digital News Report since 2020.

The post Facebook, other traditional socmed platforms wane as news sources in PH — Digital News Report 2024 appeared first on CoverStory.

Everyone on board the MV Kapitan Felix Oca—including youth and student leaders, fishers, indigenous peoples, activists, members of civil organizations—knew that the three-day mission to Lawak Island in the Spratlys was fraught with danger. But they signed up, anyway.

So that when the first civilian-led mission aimed at bringing Christmas cheer to Filipino troops and settlers at outposts in the West Philippine Sea was called off, most were despondent. It felt worse than being water-cannoned, according to activist priest Fr. Robert Reyes.

Still, they were able to deliver their message, said Reyes, one of two priests aboard the Kapitan Felix Oca. He added that by now, the Chinese military would have realized that not only the Philippine government but also ordinary Filipinos are raising a hue and cry over China’s increasing aggression in the West Philippine Sea. 

“The Filipino people are beginning to raise their voices,” Reyes told CoverStory.ph. “The voices of ordinary citizens can now be heard by China: that we’re not going to allow infringement on our sovereignty.” 

‘This is Ours’ 

In the wee hours of Dec. 10, the Kapitan Felix Oca carrying members of the multisector “Atin Ito (This is Ours)” coalition set sail for Lawak from El Nido, Palawan. Only hours earlier three Philippine supply vessels en route to Ayungin Shoal, where Philippine troops are stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre, were water-cannoned by a Chinese Coast Guard ship. 

The plan was to unload the Atin Ito cargo of Christmas gifts and other provisions at Lawak for eventual delivery to troops and settlers on remote Philippine outposts, such as Pagasa Island and Ayungin Shoal. 

Throughout the journey, the water was calm, but the heat was stifling. When the temperature eased by late afternoon, most of the passengers gathered on the deck for the Sunday Mass.  

As Reyes was delivering his homily at around 4 p.m., a Chinese Coast Guard ship came into view, changed its course and appeared to sail straight at the Kapitan Felix Oca, a 5,000-ton, 14-meter training ship owned by the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific.  

Fear fell over the crew and passengers. Reyes called for an intermission, and advised the “agitated” crowd to go to the sides of the ship and resume their prayers.   

“We were being shadowed. They were just there,” Reyes narrated. “And having said that, it was difficult for me to continue with my homily.”

It turned out that the Kapitan Felix Oca was being shadowed by four Chinese vessels. 

At past 5 p.m., the ship’s captain, Jorge dela Cruz, announced that he had decided to call off the mission and return to the port of El Nido, for everyone’s safety.

Fear and sadness

As the ship was making a U-turn, a Chinese vessel speeding at 21 knots crossed its path, ratcheting up agitation among the passengers, Reyes said.  

“You can sense that there was a very strong atmosphere of fear, of sadness, because we were turning back. Because, you know, people were saying after the Mass, ‘We all signed a waiver’,” the priest said, referring to a form signed by the volunteers clearing the organizers and shipowner of any liability in case of injury or death. 

“We were ready to face any kind of eventuality, whether we were doused by water cannons,” he said, recalling the volunteers’ outrage at the decision. “But even if you were ready to face the fear, there’s a consequence.”

According to news reports, the Atin Ito vessel was almost halfway in its voyage when at 3:40 p.m. it encountered a People’s Liberation Army Navy warship coming from the opposite direction, some 24 kilometers from Ayungin. 

Another Chinese warship appeared a few minutes later and was followed by CCG 5303, which closed in at 4.6 kilometers toward the Kapitan Felix Oca. 

When he resumed the celebration of the Mass after 20 minutes, Reyes called for sharers from among the assembly. Three volunteers rose, still shaken by the experience.  

“What was essential about the sharing is that you saw how these three people were very determined to take the supreme risk of losing their lives perhaps,” Reyes told CoverStory. “Because it was important that they showed their love for country, their love for the smaller fisherfolk, their love and appreciation for our soldiers who were assigned to the BRP Sierra Madre. They wanted to have accomplished that.”

At the same time, they were disappointed that the mission was called off to avoid conflict with the Chinese ships, Reyes said, adding: “There was a very strong sense that we abandoned the cause.”

In the end, a debriefing helped to restore calm on the ship. The Chinese vessels made sure that the Kapitan Felix Oca didn’t attempt to resume its voyage to Lawak, shadowing it until 4:30 a.m. on Monday. It reached the El Nido port around 2 p.m.

Successful delivery

But another vessel, the ML Chowee, managed to make it to Lawak at 5 a.m. on Monday, delivering the Christmas gifts to the delighted Philippine Navy and Coast Guard personnel on the island. 

On that same day, as many as 11 Chinese maritime militia vessels were observed inside Ayungin Shoal, while dozens more were clustered on its periphery. The Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation called it “a calculated show of force by Beijing,” per an Inquirer report. 

The BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated World War II-era warship, was intentionally grounded on Ayungin by the government in 1999 to serve as a military outpost. The shoal lies within the Philippines’ 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone.

Much has happened since the Atin Ito Christmas mission was aborted. Chinese Ambassador to Manila Huang Xilian has been summoned by the Department of Foreign Affairs over the latest incidents of Chinese harassment in the waters off Zambales on Saturday and in Ayungin Shoal on Sunday. 

In that same meeting, the Chinese ambassador lodged Beijing’s “strong protests” against Manila’s “infringement” on “Chinese territory.”

Reyes said the matter required the attention of a greater number of citizens: “More and more Filipinos, individuals, groups should lend their voices to the call to protect our territorial waters, our territory. That sovereignty is not a political issue. It is an issue of survival.”

Read more: Cat and mouse at Ayungin Shoal (or China’s ‘very aggressive’ presence in the West Philippine Sea)

The post Momentous Christmas mission stirs Filipinos’ outrage over Chinese aggression appeared first on CoverStory.

The high level of criticism is associated with low trust in the media in the Philippines and several other countries, according to this year’s Reuters Institute Digital News Report (DNR) released globally on June 14.

DNR 2023 also documents the steadily declining interest in news among Filipinos, their continuing avoidance of news, and the high degree of wariness when they talk about politics both online and offline, among others.

Now on its 12th edition and considered the most comprehensive global study of news consumption trends, the report draws data from an online survey of 93,895 adults in 46 media markets conducted in late January to early February. A total of 2,284 Filipinos participated in the survey.

In the Philippines, 91% of respondents say they have seen or heard criticism of the news media or journalists, with 63% reporting it as “very” or “quite often,” surpassing the average of 53% across all markets.

The report says politicians in the Philippines, the United States and Mexico have emerged as the primary source of criticism toward journalists. The Philippine news media have been heavily criticized by politicians (46%) and ordinary people (48%), followed by celebrities and influencers (41%). (DNR does not consider differences of +/- 2 percentage points as significant.)

At least 75 incidents of threats and attacks against journalists or news organizations, mostly by state agents, have been recorded since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office on June 30 last year, according to a report on the state of press freedom in the country. Thirty-one involved “red-tagging” or being branded a communist or terrorist.

Trust and criticism

DNR 2023 has detected a correlation between low levels of trust in news and media criticism.

“Some of the highest reported levels of media criticism are found in countries with highest levels of distrust, such as Greece, the Philippines, the United States, France and the United Kingdom,” it says. “The lowest levels of media criticism are often in those with higher levels of trust, such as Finland, Norway, Denmark and Japan.”

Overall trust in the news among Filipinos (38%) has held steady since last year but lags behind the global average (40%) and remains the lowest among the five Southeast Asian media markets covered in the annual study. Filipinos under 35, in fact, are more likely to disagree that they can trust news most of the time.

Reflecting the trend across the 46 media markets, self-declared interest in news has declined steadily in the Philippines. Only 52% of Filipinos now say they are “extremely” and “very” interested in news in contrast to a high of 69% in 2020 when the Philippines was first included in the study.

More Filipinos (47%) also intentionally avoid news “sometimes” or “more often” than news consumers in other markets (36%). The proportion climbs to 78%, when those who “occasionally” try to avoid news are included, exceeding last year’s 75%.

More than half of Filipinos (54%) have been tuning out news by checking it less often, including disabling notifications. Half avoid certain sources, scrolling past news or changing channels when news comes on. More than a fourth (28%) shun specific news topics like those that dampen their mood or increase anxiety.

Avoidance of hard news

Unsurprisingly, 89% of Filipinos avoid hard news, particularly topics related to national politics (45%) and social justice (33%) such as race or gender inequality and rights.

Declining interest and growing avoidance of news have adversely affected consumption of traditional media sources. On the whole, it has declined 15 percentage points to 59% since 2020. 

Specifically, the percentage of Filipinos relying on TV as a source of news has decreased from 66% in 2020, when government closed the largest network, ABS-CBN, to 52% this year (-14 points). Radio news consumption has dropped from 25% to 17% (-8 points) and print from 22% to 14% (-8 points) over the same period.

Although news consumption among Filipinos is mostly online (86%) and through social media (70%), the growth has been sluggish since 2020 and has actually declined over the past year. 

For example, 70% of Filipinos use social media as a news source this year, down 3 points from last year. Usage of digital-born or digital-first media brands has also fallen from 76% in 2020 to 63% this year (-13 points).

Filipinos’ participation in news online has likewise dipped. 

While DNR 2023 classifies Filipinos as among the more “active participators” (those who comment on a news story in a social network or a news website), the Philippine average of 34% is a far cry from the 54% first recorded in 2020. The average across all markets this year is 22%.

The number of Filipinos sharing news online is also lower, dropping from 51% to 47% over the past three years. They are also less likely to talk about a news story online (24%, down 3 points from 2020) and face to face (25%, down 6 points).

Gen Z or Zoomers (ages 18 to 24) are even less likely to share news (43%) and comment on it (27%) but more likely to talk about it (42%).

Level of wariness

While only more than half of respondents across all 46 media markets worry about what they say about politics online (54%) and offline (52%), the level of wariness is higher among Filipinos: 81% online and 78% offline.

The report says markets with more active participators such as the Philippines tend to have more people concerned about political conversations online. 

It also says: “These perceptions are particularly high among respondents in countries such as the Philippines (81% online, 78% offline) and Peru (70% online, 67% offline), where citizens may feel the chilling effects of political unrest, online intimidation tactics, or other threats to free expression.”

Filipinos express greater concern over misinformation and disinformation (64%) compared with the global average (56%). The proportion has grown 7 points from 57% in 2020. 

DNR 2023 reports that Facebook is becoming much less important as a source of news in most markets, especially in the Global South, as TikTok and other video-based networks gain ground.

In the Philippines, Facebook remains the leading news source (72%), but the country now ranks among markets with the highest use of TikTok for news and other purposes. 

TikTok’s usage as a news source of Filipinos has dramatically grown from a mere 2% in 2020 to 21% this year (up 19 points) and from 7% to 42% (up 35 points) for all purposes. Usage is particularly high among Zoomers, with 32% using it for news and 58% for all purposes.

Save for Twitter, Filipinos pay attention more to personalities than mainstream or alternative brands or journalists when accessing news on social media. But there is greater preference for hard news than soft news across platforms, except for Instagram.

In contrast to the global trend, where most respondents prefer to read the news (57%) than watch (30%) or listen to it (13%), Filipinos deviate from the pattern: 52% would rather watch the news than read (36%) or listen to it (12%). Interestingly, Gen Z Filipinos are less likely to watch the news (47%) than other age groups and more likely to listen to it (15%).

For Filipinos, Facebook (63%) is the biggest outlet for online news-related videos, followed by YouTube (51%), a new site or app (32%), TikTok (21%), Twitter (13%) and Instagram (12%).

However, Gen Z Filipinos have a higher consumption of these videos on TikTok (34%) and Twitter (20%).

Yvonne T. Chua is an associate professor of journalism at the University of the Philippines. She wrote the profile on the Philippines for the Digital News Report 2023. —Ed.

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