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World Press Freedom Day Statement Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines

This World Press Freedom Day, the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) honors journalists and media workers around the globe who continue to deliver news and information to the public despite the growing risks and threats they face in the line of duty.

The association offers solidarity to its colleagues, including in fraught conflict zones such as Gaza, which accounts for three out of four global killings last year according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Safety and security remain a challenge for the press, especially amid the backdrop of political and economic uncertainties. In the Philippines, journalists remain vulnerable to harassment and attacks by state agents and political actors who try to control news and information as a way to wield power.

But over the past year, as geopolitical tensions in the region continue to rise, FOCAP has monitored a new threat against journalists working in the Philippines: malign influence operations indicative of foreign interference.

The organization has recorded a case of impersonation or spoofing and an uptick in messages to journalists from fake or suspicious email addresses, attempting to either extract information or skew the news agenda regarding coverage of the South China Sea. At least one FOCAP member was alerted to two attempted hacks traced to a government.

The source of the threats are unclear, but FOCAP calls on journalists and the public to remain vigilant. In a heated geopolitical situation, there is no shortage of attempts to bait, influence, misrepresent, and smear the free press.

FOCAP is steadfast and dedicated to its pursuit of the truth. It will not be swayed by any threat, domestic or foreign. It will continue to record and monitor these incidents and support its members under threat or attack. Founded under the dark days of the Marcos regime in 1974, FOCAP was one of the world’s windows into the state of a nation under dictatorship. It has relentlessly stood for press freedom in the Philippines, braving dangers that came along with the profession.

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