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Ferdinand Marcos signs Proclamation No. 1081
Placing the whole country under Martial Law. -
Period: to
Press Freedom from Martial Law to Present
by Patrick Dumlao -
Through Letter of Instruction no. 1, Marcos orders the closure of media establishments.
These are the Manila Times; Daily Mirror; Manila Chronicle; Manila Daily Bulletin; Philippine Daily Express; Philippines Herald; Philippine Free Press, Graphic; and the Nation as well as wire agencies. -
Media and opposition personalities known to be critical against Marcos are taken to military camps for investigation and detention.
The series of interrogation of the media by the military intelligence begins. -
The Department of Public Infor-mation (DPI) issues Order No. 1 requiring all media publications to get a clearance from the DPI, and Order No.2
This prohibits printers “from producing any form of publication for mass dissemination without permis-sion from DPI.” On this day, the Philippine Daily Express restarts publication. -
Marcos issue Presidential Decree (PD) 33
Which “penalizes the printing, possession, and distribution of leaflets and other materials, and even graffiti which ‘undermine the integrity of the govern-ment.” -
Marcos issues PD No. 36 canceling the franchises and permits of all mass media facilities allegedly trying to topple his government
The decree creates the Mass Media Council which has the power to grant certificates of authority to newspapers, radio, and TV. -
Marcos issues PD 90 penalizing rumor-mongering
Rumor, according to the decree, is “false news and information and gossip which undermines the stability of government.” -
Marcos issues PD 191 abolishing the Mass Media Council and creating the Media Advisory Council
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PD 576 abolishes the Media Advisory Council and the Bureau of Standards for Mass Media
But, on November 11 of the same year, Marcos authorized the organization of regulatory councils for print and broadcast media through PD 576-A. The Philippine Council for Print Media and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas were formed. -
Marcos issues PD 885 forbidding the creation of “subversive” organi-zations
It included “preparing documents, leaflets and any other types of publication, and advi-sing and counseling members of “subversive” organizations” as among the punishable acts. The penalty for crimes against public order is increased through PD 942. -
Marcos issues PD 1079
A decree “Revising and consolidating all laws and decrees regulating the publication of judicial notices, advertisements for public biddings, notices of auction sales, and other similar notices.” -
Marcos issues PD No. 1498
Also known as the National Security Code. -
Marcos issues PD No 1737 or the Public Order Act
This “ empowered him to issue orders as he may deem necessary” in order to clamp down on “subversive publications or other media of mass communication” and “ban or regulate the holding of entertainment (or exhibitions) deemed ’detrimental to the national interest.’” Under this, he was also ”empowered to order the preventive detention of persons and to prohibit the wearing of certain uniforms or emblems.” -
Marcos issues PD No. 727
Making “unlawful the malicious dissemination of false information.” -
Marcos issues Proclamation No. 2045
Which was said to "lift" martial law. -
The government abolishes the print and broadcast media councils.
The right to publish without having to obtain prior license was restored. -
Marcos issues Letter of Instruction No. 1211
Called the Presidential Com-mitment Order, the presidential issuance allows the “preventive detention” of persons for crimes mentioned in PD No. 2045. -
Marcos orders the seizure of "We Forum"
After it came out with a series exposing his fake medals. -
The Presidential Commitment Order was replaced by Preventive Detention Action
Marcos issues PD 1875 repealing the Public Order Act, and PD 1876 repealing the National Security Code. 4 -
Former senator Benigno Aquino Jr.
Upon his arrival to Manila. -
Pro-perties of the Philippine Times were seized.
After it published a story implicating high government and military officials in the assassination of Ninoy Aquino. -
People Power begins and ends peacefully after four days.
On February 25, 1986, Marcos flees to Hawaii. Corazon Aquino takes power. -
The Aquino government issues Executive Order (EO) No. 1
Creating the Presidential Commission on Good Government which was tasked to go after the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family. -
President Aquino issues EO No. 187
Repealing the Marcos-issued PD 38 (“Amending Articles 135, 136, 137, 138, 140, 142, 177, 178 and 179 of The Revised Penal Code”), 942 (“Amending the Provisions of the Revised Penal Code on Crimes Against Public Order), 1735 (“Imposing Additional Penalties for Rebellion, Insurrection, Sedition, and Subversion Committed Within or Outside Philippine Territoy”), 1834 (“Increasing The Penalties For The Crime of Rebellion, Sedition, and Related Crimes, and Amending For This Purpose Articles 135, 136, -
The Aquino government declares a state of National Emergency
Due to attempts to topple her government. -
Republic Act (RA) 7079 is enacted.
Also known as the “Campus Journalism Act of 1991”. -
President Fidel V. Ramos signs RA 7636 repealing RA 1700
Otherwise known as the Anti-Subversion law. RA 1700 was signed into law on June 20, 1957 by then President Carlos P. Garcia to combat communism, which was popular during the Cold War, declaring groups like the “Hukbalahap” as illegal. The law was also used to curb criticism against the government, and other published materials during the Marcos dictatorship that discussed the revolution. -
President Joseph Estrada files a P101-million libel suit against The Manila Times.
For the paper’s Feb. 16 banner story which described him as an “unwitting ninong (godfather)” to a P17-billion power contract between an Argentine firm and the National Power Corp. The Times published a front-page apology by publisher Robina Gokongwei-Pe on April 8. The following day, Estrada announced the withdrawal of his libel suit against the newspaper. The apology led to the resignation of editors Chit Estella, Booma Cruz, Ed Lingao and Joel Gaborni. -
Media report the sale of The Manila Times to lawyer Katrina Legarda and businessman Reghis Romero III for P20 million.
The next day, the Times announced that it was ceasing publication. When it reopened, the new owner was identified as Mark Jimenez, a known ally of Estrada. -
Juan “Jun” Pala, is assassinated in Davao.
He was the seventh journalist casualty this year, a number not seen since the 1980s. -
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines reports the existence of a military document titled, “Knowing the Enemy,” which identified them along with the Philippine Center for Investi-gative Journalism (PCIJ) as two of several “fronts” of the Co
The document was reportedly prepared by the Intelligence Service of the Philippines of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Then Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Honrado however said that the document merely showed “organizations which are targets of infiltration by the CPP-NPA.” -
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issues EO 464
This prohibits senior executive and military officials from appearing in Congress without the President’s permission.he executive order was issued in the wake of the “Hello Garci” controversy and a week after National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales appeared in a Senate hearing regarding the P50-million contract of the government with the Washington-based law firm Venable LLP as lobbying consultants. EO 464 was partly upheld by the Supreme Court in a decision on April 2006. -
The Supreme Court (SC) declares the government raid on the Daily Tribune illegal and constituting “plain censorship.”
While also declaring the constitutionality of Presidential Proclamation 1017 in so far as upholding Arroyo’s power to declare a state of national emergency is concerned, it ruled as illegal the Arroyo government’s decision giving itself the authority to issue decrees and raid or take over privately owned media. -
Amnesty International (AI) says the Arroyo administration failed “to fulfill its obligation to protect the right to life of every individual under its jurisdiction, regardless of the political affiliation of those targeted.”
AI adds: “No one deserves to die for his political affiliation. It should be a deep embarrassment to the government that people in the Philippines cannot freely exercise their rights of political expression and association.” -
GMA issues Administrative Order No. 157
Creating a five-man commission headed by former SC Justice Jose Melo to investigate, examine policy matters, recommend reforms and consolidate efforts to mete out justice on cases of extrajudicial killings. -
The Melo Commission submits its report to President Arroyo.
It says, among other things, that while the AFP does not have a policy for the illegal liquidation of persons, “there is certainly evidence pointing the finger of suspicion at some elements and personalities in the Armed Forces, in particular Gen. Palparan, as responsible for an undetermined number of killings, by allowing, tolerating, and even encouraging the killings.” -
Alston, UN Special Rap-porteur for extrajudicial killings, arrives for a ten-day fact-finding mission.
Alston was accompanied by UN experts Ulrich Grams, who had investigated war crimes in Bosnia, and William Abresch, who had investi-gated human rights violations in Chechnya. -
Philip Alston releases a preliminary statement at the end of his ten-day investigation.
Saying that the Armed Forces of the Philippines is in “a state of denial” regarding its role in extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations. -
Mrs. Arroyo finally releases the Melo report to the public.
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President Arroyo signs into law RA 9372
Also known as the Human Security Act of 2007 or the Anti-Terror Law. -
United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston presents to the UN his findings.
Regarding the spate of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines and accuses the government of “passivity, bordering on an abdication of responsibility” in the matter of protecting human rights. -
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issues EO 608
Restricting public and media access to official information. The EO creates the National Security Clearance System to “protect and ensure the integrity and sanctity” of classified information against “enemies of the state.”
