On September 22, student journalist Aila Joy Esperida received a letter signed by a regional administrative authority, a Naga City Barangay, summoning her and her parents for a discussion with unidentified members of the Philippine armed forces on September 24. The Democrat found that the letter contained no official Barangay seal, and no reason was provided for the invitation. A day prior, The Democrat photojournalist John Harvee Cabal received a similar letter from their Barangay.
Prior to the summons, during the 51st-anniversary Martial Law commemoration at Plaza Rizal in Naga City on September 21, Esperida and other student journalists were harassed by soldiers, who took photos of The Democrat’s student staff without their consent and demanded they provide personal information. The student journalists objected to this and urged the soldiers to delete the photos.
Esperida requested the identity of the soldier who collected their personal information, later identified as Sergeant Creo, who questioned the students about their presence at the plaza and encouraged them to join an Infantry division.
A similar incident took place on September 13, involving the publication's former Editor-in-Chief, Berlineth Nymia Montes. Similarly, pressure was exerted on her and her family, with members of the armed forcesinsinuating that she held an affiliation with Filipino terrorist organisations, a practice commonly known as ‘Red-tagging’.
The Democrat, affiliated with the College Editors Guild of the Philippines, is currently seeking the assistance of human rights attorneys and the NUJP. The publication's editorial team has also notified university authorities and scheduled meetings to plan their future actions.
The NUJP said:“The "invitation" is concerning given the government's tendency to label journalists and activists as sympathizers or outright members of the underground communist movement. That the military can essentially summon a journalist is troubling enough. That it would do that to student journalists is even more so. NUJP has referred the matter to our legal consultant and the safety office has documented the incident. Journalists who receive similar "invitations" are advised to decline. Those who choose to attend are reminded that they have the right to remain silent and to be accompanied by legal counsel of their choice.”
The IFJ said: “The harassment, red-tagging, and summoning of student journalists from members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines is deeply concerning, and a clear overreach of power. The IFJ calls on Filipino authorities to cease their harassment and intimidation of student journalists, ensuring that they can fulfill their duties without fear of reprisal.”