At FORUM-ASIA, we employ a range of strategies to effectively achieve our goals and create a lasting impact.

Through a diverse array of approaches, FORUM-ASIA is dedicated to achieving our objectives and leaving a lasting imprint on human rights advocacy.

Who we work with

Our interventions are meticulously crafted and ready to enact tangible change, addressing pressing issues and empowering communities.

Each statements, letters, and publications are meticulously tailored, poised to transform challenges into opportunities, and to empower communities towards sustainable progress.

Multimedia Stories
publications

With a firm commitment to turning ideas into action, FORUM-ASIA strives to create lasting change that leaves a positive legacy for future generations.

Explore our dedicated sub-sites to witness firsthand how FORUM-ASIA turns ideas into action, striving to create a legacy of lasting positive change for future generations.

Subscribe our monthly e-newsletter

Philippines: FORUM-ASIA responds to the cease and desist order against Philippine media network ABS-CBN

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin

On the issuance of a cease and desist order by the Philippines National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) against media network ABS-CBN on 5 May, FORUM-ASIA’s Executive Director Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu said:

The cease and desist order is another attack against press freedom in the Philippines, at a time when access to information is most vital. The Government of the Philippines should facilitate the free flow of information especially in the face of a global health crisis, instead of relentlessly targeting its media institutions and suppressing press freedom.

It is particularly concerning that the pressure to close down the network comes from the country’s Solicitor General, who threatened to prosecute the NTC should ABS-CBN be granted a provisional license. The Department of Justice and several legislators had earlier recommended the granting of a provisional license, pending Congress’ decision on franchise renewal.

The country’s press has been instrumental in promoting State accountability, and in reporting the extent of human rights violations when it comes to repressive policies, such as the ‘war on drugs’. The Government’s consistent attacks against the press highlight how severely civic space in the country has narrowed, and how the media is increasingly targeted in its reprisals.

FORUM-ASIA, as a regional network of human rights organisations with a presence in the Philippines, continues to stand for press freedom.

**
For media inquiries, please contact the Communication and Media Programme at [email protected]