The Philippines: CFWIJ condemns the restrictions placed on Lorraine Ecarma

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May 20, 2021, Visayas- Correspondent for Rappler, Lorraine Ecarma was restricted by the police from covering the release of human rights activist and Lumad teacher Chad Booc. She was denied entry into the police station at the time of the release, and once let inside was neither allowed to film the event nor interview Booc.

When Chad Booc was finally released from Central Visayas Police Regional Office (PRO-7) on Friday May 14, Rappler correspondent Lorraine Ecarma was denied coverage of the event by the officers present at the location. She was not allowed to enter the premises, despite there being no such restrictions for other media groups present. According to a series of tweets by Ecarma, police officers accused Rappler of being a “fake” news outlet. Rappler had extensively covered the Lumad arrests at the time of the incident.

When Ecarma attempted to film this violation outside of the gates of the prison facility, plain clothed police officers ordered her and other human rights activists to stop recording. After some time, the police allowed Ecarma entry, on the orders of PRO-7 Public Information Officer chief Maria Aurora Rayos, however, even once inside Ecarma was disallowed from using her equipment to cover the event. She was even denied the interview with Chad Booc. While Ecarma was inside the police station, several police officers insinuated that there is a “leftist” agenda behind Rappler’s presence at the location, without any evidence to back up their claims.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism strongly condemns singling out one media outlet and denying it coverage of an important story they have actively covered over several months. The purpose behind these restrictions cannot be hidden from anyone who knows the contentious history behind Rappler and the Filipino state. For far too long, the Filipino state has gone out of their way to persecute Maria Ressa and to silence the voices on Rappler’s platform speaking for human rights and dignity. These instances of state overreach and attempts to intimidate journalists is an outright violation of their democratic rights.