Philippines: Manila Today editor Lady Ann Salem arrested on Human Rights Day
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December 10, 2020 - Manila Today’s editor, Lady Ann Salem, was arrested during police operations in Manila on December 10, the International Human Rights Day. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns this vicious attack against the journalist and demands her release.
According to the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT), Lady Ann Salem, known as Icy among her colleagues, was targeted by the Filipino authorities. The journalist’s house was raided by the police in Mandaluyong City, leading to her arrest. Salem is a communications officer for the Philippines branch of the IAWRT and a founding member of Altermidya, a national network of independent and progressive individuals and media institutions. The journalist was arrested among seven other people on December 10 for her alleged possession of illegal firearms and explosives.
Her arrest directly violates a longstanding agreement between the Philippine National Police and media outlets regarding the arrest of journalists. Manila Today is one of many media organizations that target the groundless accusations by officials, such as the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Insurgency (NTF-ELCAC) working in conjunction with the Communist Party of the Philippines.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) urged the independent community of Filipino journalists to close ranks and stop media suppression. On their official Twitter page, they stated: “Icy's arrest is proof that this administration is determined to silence the independent and critical Philippine media so it can manipulate the flow of information to the detriment of our people and of our democracy. We call on the community of independent Filipino journalists to close ranks and demand a stop to the repression of the media.” said NUJP.
We call on the community of independent Filipino journalists to close ranks and demand a stop to the repression of media.
— NUJP (@nujp) December 10, 2020
CFWIJ condemns the legal harassment and intimidation of journalists who cover the critical and dissenting voices that often go unheard. Such attacks against journalists overshadow the freedom of the press and the freedom of expression. We urge the authorities to release Lady Ann immediately and realign their protocols to respect press freedom.
