The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) welcomes the recent report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, following her official visit to the Philippines. The report provides a timely and alarming account of the worsening situation of civic space in the country. It confirms what many human rights defenders, journalists, civil society organizations, and grassroots communities have long raised: an atmosphere of fear driven by red-tagging, digital surveillance, harassment, and the misuse of laws to silence dissent.


We support the report’s clear call to end red-tagging and disinformation campaigns, ensure accountability for human rights violations, and reform or repeal laws that have been systematically used to criminalize expression and activism. These violations are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of repression that threatens democratic values and fundamental freedoms.


PAHRA urges the Philippine government to act on the recommendations without delay. The time for performative gestures has passed. We need concrete legislative action, strong policy reforms, and firm guarantees for the protection of those exercising their right to speak out and organize. Human rights defenders and media practitioners must be free from fear of reprisal and violence.


We also urge Congress and key government institutions to reflect on the report's findings and ensure that laws and public policy protect, not endanger, freedom of expression. Upholding this right is a duty, not a choice, and any failure to do so undermines the very core of democratic governance.


PAHRA stands in solidarity with all who continue to resist censorship and repression. We call on the Filipino public to stay vigilant and courageous. The right to speak, to dissent, and to hold power to account must not be eroded. It must be protected, expanded, and defended now more than ever.