Philippines: Non-Binary Journalist Roy Barbosa Faces Threats During Protest Coverage

September 3, 2024 - Philippines, Manila

Women Press Freedom vehemently condemns the threats and harassment faced by Roy Barbosa, a Manila Today journalist targeted for both their non-binary gender identity and their work covering protests against the country’s revived terror law. We demand immediate accountability and call on the Filipino government to ensure the safety of women and LGBTQI journalists. This egregious targeting is a clear violation of press freedom and must not be tolerated.

Recalling the incident on September 3 in Manila, Barbosa shared with WPF that they were live-covering the protest when they noticed someone covertly filming the demonstrators from behind a vehicle. “He probably realized I saw him, so he quickly walked away. However, I panned my live camera toward him. Suddenly, he came back and started yelling, demanding I take down the video. I told him I was a journalist, just doing my job.”

As the situation escalated, a lawyer from the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers and paralegals intervened when the individual, claiming to be a vlogger, refused to show identification and resorted to further intimidation. “He spat on me, yelled at me, and called someone, saying it was the chief of police,” Barbosa added. The vlogger later gathered others, including a police chief, who intercepted Barbosa’s colleagues and the paralegals.

“At around 6:00 PM, I published my report, including details of the harassment. Minutes later, an unknown Facebook user messaged me, revealing my full name and red-tagging me. It felt like déjà vu — a tactic used to target labor activists with terror charges.”

Barbosa described the attack as "a blatant attempt to silence journalists," particularly those reporting on the terror law, which is being wielded to vilify, arrest, or even kill activists championing the marginalized. “This isn’t the first time I’ve been harassed,” Barbosa said. “Since starting at Manila Today in 2019, I’ve faced physical, emotional, and mental threats. It feels like déjà vu.”

“He spat on me, yelled at me, and called someone, saying it was the chief of police”

— Roy Barbosa

The journalist emphasized that red-tagging is a precursor to arrest, abduction, or death. “It’s used alongside trumped-up charges, like those against Salem, Cumpio, Esparago, and Cubelo. Red-tagging creates a narrative that instills fear in the public.”

Barbosa warned that the media in the Philippines is “under siege,” with the looming threat of another Marcos dictatorship setting a dangerous precedent for journalists, especially women and LGBTQIA+ individuals. “For community and alternative media, the weaponization of laws like cyberlibel, the anti-terrorism act, and red-tagging only exacerbate harassment and intimidation by state forces against journalists simply doing their jobs.”