History of Censorship in the Philippines
The history of censorship in the Philippines reflects a complex interplay between governance, media freedom, and societal values. Following the country’s independence in 1946, a relatively vibrant press emerged, but this changed dramatically with the election of Ferdinand Marcos in 1965. His declaration of martial law in 1972 led to severe suppression of speech; thousands of media professionals lost their jobs, and most newspapers were shut down or controlled by the state. Marcos established a Department of Public Information to filter news, prohibiting any content deemed contrary to government interests. After the bloodless coup that ousted Marcos in 1986, the press experienced a renaissance under Corazon Aquino, who encouraged opposition media and allowed for a flourishing of daily publications. Nonetheless, censorship pressures persisted, particularly through licensing requirements and the influence of Marcos loyalists. Later, under President Fidel Ramos, film censorship policies were relaxed, marking a significant cultural shift. However, the introduction of the Cybercrime Prevention Act in 2012 raised concerns about potential government overreach in regulating online expression, despite subsequent legal challenges that struck down certain provisions. Overall, the trajectory of censorship in the Philippines highlights ongoing tensions between freedom of expression and governmental control.
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History of Censorship in the Philippines
Description: Independent east Asian archipelagic nation
Significance: After a period of often brutal repression, the Philippines, like many new democracies, has struggled to establish a more open press and entertainment industry
After the Philippine islands became independent from the United States in 1946, they struggled to establish a democratic regime, with some success. They enjoyed a relatively vibrant press and political opposition was tolerated, until Ferdinand Marcos was elected president in 1965; he declared martial law in 1972. Marcos established a regime which had no parallel in Asia, in terms of suppression of speech. Eight thousand media members lost their jobs after Marcos declared martial law, and of eighteen newspapers published before 1972, only two survived.
Marcos established the Department of Public Information to ensure that news reports would have a positive national value. Anything that would influence people to oppose the government, to undermine morality, or to promote lawlessness or disorder, was strictly prohibited. All news, both broadcast and print, had to be cleared by the department. Because the government was fighting against an insurgency, all communist newspapers were illegal, while other journals were targeted by the military and right-wing groups for intimidation, resulting in the deaths of many journalists. One of the more subtle ways that Marcos established censorship was to promote, and sometimes force, the ownership of television stations and major newspapers by persons sympathetic to the government.
Martial law was lifted in January 1981, and tolerance for media coverage of controversial issues increased. Reporters became more assertive, pursuing stories on governmental corruption and military abuse. Certain matters remained off-limits, however, and the Print Media Council and the Broadcast Media Council, established in 1974, continued to publish guidelines to encourage, along with the threat of intimidation, self-censorship.
In a bloodless coup in 1986, Marcos was driven from power and replaced by Corazon Aquino, wife of a slain journalist and candidate for president in elections the previous year. The Aquino government quickly dismantled much of the Marcos-era system of censorship. Opposition newspapers were encouraged, and the Philippine press returned to its traditionally vibrant and near licentious ways, as seventy-five daily newspapers soon appeared.
There remained some challenges, however. The system of licensure for reporters allowed for some censorship pressures. Many media outlets remained under the control of Marcos cronies. However, the artistic area continued to show improvement. In May 1994, for example, President Fidel Ramos, who succeeded Aquino, ruled that the Steven Spielberg-directed film Schindler’s List would be shown as made. The Philippine Movie and Television Review and Classification Board routinely deleted scenes it considered immoral, regardless of the consequences to the film. Spielberg refused to release his film in the Philippines unless it appeared as he made it. Ramos’s ruling allowed the first legal public showing of explicit sex on film. Subsequently the government issued new, more liberal guidelines on film censorship.
The Internet remained largely uncensored in the Philippines until a law was passed in 2012 that had many concerned that the government was encroaching on the public's ability to use the medium for free expression and press. The Cybercrime Prevention Act, while protecting against hacking, spamming, and identity theft, also included provisions making pornography, file-sharing, and libel illegal. Critics argued that the new law was so comprehensive that it inevitably placed restrictions on legitimate expressions of free speech, and that the libel provision was too vague and did not clearly define responsibility. Two years later, the Supreme Court did declare certain sections of the law unconstitutional but maintained that the libel law was constitutional and would be applied only to the source of the post.
Bibliography
Forbes, Amy. "Courageous Women in Media: Marcos and Censorship in the Philippines." Pacific Journalism Review 21.1 (2015): 195–210. Print.
"Philippines: Freedom on the Net 2012." Freedom House. Freedom House, 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
Punay, Edu. "Internet Libel in Cyber Crime Law Constitutional." Philstar. Philstar, 19 Feb. 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
Tassi, Paul. "The Philippines Passes a Cybercrime Prevention Act that Makes SOPA Look Reasonable." Forbes. Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
Teodoro, Luis V. "Philippines Media and the Impact of the Martial Law Period." IFEX. IFEX, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.