The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has called for stronger and sustained measures to protect journalists and media workers as the country observes National Press Week from Feb. 8 to 14.

It lamented that in the country, journalists face intimidation, surveillance, and attacks as they go about doing their work of documenting abuses, exposing wrongdoings, and enabling accountability.

"The Commission stresses that the public’s right to truth cannot be upheld while journalists continue to face threats, harassment, violence, and legal intimidation in the course of their work," the CHR said in a statement.

To help in media safety and protection, the CHR advanced protection, policy, and prevention measures that are anchored on the Philippine Plan of Action for the Safety of Journalists (PPASJ).

It pointed out that journalists’ safety “goes beyond physical security and includes legal, digital, professional, and structural protections necessary for independent and ethical reporting."

It said it has conducted media sessions nationwide to provide journalists with platforms to raise safety concerns and professional constraints.

Also, it said it integrated its media forum into the Lakbay Karapatan Tungo sa Kamalayan (LaKarAn) human rights caravan in various regions.

The caravan was led by CHR Chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc and rolled out by CHR regional offices.

The CHR said that highlighted during the caravan were the realities faced by journalists at the local level. It also said it presented media safety initiatives and bridged the gap for dialogue between media workers, communities, and duty bearers.

As part of its Tanggol Mamamahayag initiatives, the CHR said it institutionalized the Alisto! Alert Mechanism and the CHR Task Force on the Safety of Journalists to ensure that threats are promptly reported and addressed through coordinated responses.

Meanwhile, the CHR said it continued to push for reforms in the policy level that will help fight against threats to media freedom.

It said it has urged Congress to advance measures to decriminalize libel and cyberlibel as it stressed that imprisonment for defamation undermines freedom of expression and enables legal harassment through Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.

The CHR said: "Journalists are human rights defenders. They expose abuses and make rights visible. Protecting them is part of the State’s duty to protect human rights defenders. Through concrete measures and legal reform, the CHR affirms that protecting journalists is indispensable to upholding the public’s right to truth."

The country’s annual celebration of the National Press Week during the second week of February is mandated under Proclamation No. 161 issued in 1964 by the late former president Diosdado Macapagal.

The proclamation encourages Filipinos “to recognize the vital role of a free, militant, and fearless press in community and national life.”