Kabataan Party-list Representative Raoul Manuel, along with the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), filed a resolution urging the House of Representatives (HOR) to condemn campus press freedom violations, May 7.

Manuel, in the House resolution, cited multiple incidents of campus press attacks leading up to and during campaigns for the National and Local Midterm Elections (NLE).

This includes the “targeted harassment” and online attacks received by The SPARK, the official student publication of the Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges, after publishing the results of their campus-based election preference polls in February 2025.

Furthermore, on March 11, the Ateneo Publications Alliance, including Atenews of Ateneo de Davao University, was reported to have been subjected to a “torrent of online harassment,” including red-tagging and “vitriolic” or “malicious” comments, following the release of a unity statement regarding former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Other instances in April were also indicated, including when Amaranth, the official student media organization of Visayas State University, faced a “barrage of red-tagging comments” from online trolls after reporting on a forum organized by the Makabayan Coalition.

Similarly, The Pillar, the student publication of the University of Eastern Philippines, was also subjected to red-tagging after covering the student electoral results.

As stated in the resolution, these cases were “significantly representative of the hostile and repressive environment confronting student publications and journalists worldwide,” especially those who cover controversial political issues and require accountability from those in positions of authority.

Manuel further called on the HOR to “express its profound concern and strong condemnation of the campus press freedom violations” experienced by student publications and journalists across the country.

In support of this, he referenced Section 4, Article III of the 1987 Constitution, which affirms that “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.” Section 2 of Republic Act No. 7079, or the Campus Journalism Act of 1991, was also cited, a law that declares it the policy of the State to uphold and protect the freedom of the press at the campus level.

“The House resolution also urges to pass the Campus Press Freedom Bill authored by Kabataan Partylist, as it aims to fill the gaps of the outdated, weak, and toothless provisions of the Campus Journalism Act,” said the CEGP in a Facebook post, referring to House Bill No. 1155, filed on July 5, 2022.

To recall, the CEGP issued a unity statement in February signed by over 100 student publications across the Philippines, condemning the “heightened press attacks and disinformation” during the election period.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A portion of this article has been retracted at the request of the institution involved.