Journalism Review Archives

The narrative war and dehumanization of “Toboso 19”

ON APRIL 19, 2026, the 79th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army reported a "series of encounters" in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental, that ended with a count of 19 fatalities. The state swiftly delivered the narrative of a 12-hour gunfight with the New People’s Army (NPA).

Media highlights local government pushback on Boracay bridge

A BRIDGE linking the town of Malay in Aklan province to Boracay will ease land travel for the countless travelers who visit the famed beaches of the island. But opposition to the project may color the public reaction.

A record win for workers

CHEERS TO ABS-CBN News and Bulatlat for reporting on the plight of Kowloon House employees who went on a six-day strike after three years of negotiations with business owners.

Media expose teachers’ “cycle of debt” trapping Filipino teachers

CHEERS TO the media reports for looking into the problem of debt that has hounded teachers in the past, once again calling attention to what has been a perennial problem for many of the country’s educators.

DILG Safer Cities: Reports flag human rights concerns

CHEERS to the news organizations that flagged the potential violations of citizens’ constitutional rights in the implementation of the Safer Cities program initiated by the Department of Interior and Local Government.

Presidential health: When private becomes public

PRESIDENT FERDINAND Marcos Jr. was hospitalized for diverticulitis on January 21 this year. On January 22, Claire Castro, Palace Press Officer, said the president was discharged on the same day and returned to Malacañang. Media reports said that on the day he was in hospital, the president was represented...

Community journalist RJ Ledesma among 19 killed in Negros military operation

CMFR/PHILIPPINES — Community journalist RJ Ledesma was killed during a military operation in Toboso, Negros Occidental, on April 19, 2026.

The money trail: Rappler probes family ties in DOH contracts

CHEERS TO Rappler for its investigative report that looked into the potential conflict of interest involving a high-ranking health official and a construction firm owned by his brother. Reports from the Philippine Star and Inquirer.net focused on the filing of graft complaints by "concerned DOH employees."

Media reports Senator Bato Dela Rosa’s record of attendance and the policy on absenteeism in the Senate

CHEERS TO media organizations which noted the extended absence of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa from the Senate, counting the 31 days that he did not attend the 58 scheduled sessions. Media pointed out that Dela Rosa’s absenteeism is currently the highest recorded among members of the 20th Congress.

Fuel crisis and the most affected: Media focus on plight; more questions on government response

THE FEBRUARY 28 airstrikes on Iran by the United States and Israel plunged the world into an energy crisis. Military tension has stalled the delivery of fuel through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route that carries 20 million barrels of oil and liquefied natural gas from Gulf...