HOUSE Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Rep. Leila de Lima has filed a measure aimed at empowering student journalists by providing enhanced safeguards and protecting their freedom of publication.
In filing House Bill (HB) No. 8718 or the “Campus Press Freedom Act,” De Lima seeks to repeal Republic Act (RA) No. 7079 and address flaws and deficiencies in the law that have resulted in further violations of campus press freedom.
“Student journalists often come into conflict with institutions that use their authority to quell free expression and censor the press. Threats and intimidation have become more pervasive, underscoring the need for stronger legal protections for campus journalists,” the Bicolana lawmaker said.
“Although information today is disseminated through more advanced and accessible platforms like social media, student journalists continue to face harassment and censorship from school administrations, as well as reported cases of red-tagging and surveillance from state forces such as the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC),” she added.
Despite the passage of RA 7079 or the “Campus Journalism Act of 1991” in July 1991 to uphold freedom of the press at the campus level and promote the development of campus journalism, the law has been found to be seriously flawed and insufficient to protect campus publications and the rights and welfare of student journalists.
According to De Lima, among its glaring flaws are the following:
– It legalizes the non-mandatory collection of the publication fee, the lifeblood of most student publications. It only provides a provision that enumerates the sources where the student publication funds may be taken;
– It does not make it mandatory for all colleges and universities in the Philippines to establish student publications. Neither does the said law require that those student publications that remain closed until the present be reopened for the benefit of the students;
– It does not contain a penalty clause, leaving erring administrations unscathed from violations. School administrations are able to commit offense after offense without suffering any consequence.
To address these gaps, De Lima seeks to establish clear safeguards against censorship, guarantee the editorial independence of student publications, and provide campus press with a reliable source of funding.
Furthermore, if the said measure is enacted into law, all educational institutions in the elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels, whether public or private, shall be mandated to establish a student publication. All student publications whose operations ceased upon the directives of the school administration shall also be revived and allowed to operate again.
“We call on our fellow lawmakers to support and swiftly act on this crucial measure to strengthen campus press freedom and address the realities faced by student journalists today,” De Lima said.
“Sa disiplina, husay, tapang, at proteksyon sa pag-uulat ng ating mga student journalists, bukod sa maitataguyod ang karapatan sa malayang pamamahayag, ay mas mailalantad ang mga baluktot na polisiya at pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan, malalabanan ang fake news at disinformation, at mas maihahayag ang katotohanan hindi lang sa mga kapwa nila mag-aaral kundi pati na sa marami pa nating kababayan,” she added.
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