SWS: 47% of Filipinos agree it is dangerous to report content critical of Marcos admin

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 9) — A Social Weather Station (SWS) survey on Tuesday showed nearly half of Filipinos agree it is dangerous to print or broadcast content critical of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration, even if it is about the truth.

The poll conducted from Dec. 10-14 last year revealed that out of the 1,200 respondents, 47% of Filipinos agreed, 27% were undecided, while 26% disagreed it is dangerous to publish content critical of the administration.

"As part of its monitoring of Filipinos' quality of life, SWS regularly assesses respondents' opinions on the state of press freedom in the country," the research body said.

The resulting net agreement that it is dangerous to publish content against the Marcos administration was seen highest in Metro Manila (+28). It was followed by the Visayas (+23), Balance Luzon (+21), and Mindanao (+13).

But compared to 2021 data, the SWS said the net agreement in Metro Manila fell from strong (+41) to moderate (+28). It also decreased in the Visayas from strong (+36) to moderate (+23).

While the net agreement hardly moved in Balance Luzon from +23 to +21, it rose from neutral to moderate in Mindanao from +7 to +13.

In the latest World Press Freedom Index, the Philippines ranked 132nd among 180 countries but remained to be among world's "most dangerous" nations for journalists. It was 14 spots higher from 147th last year.

READ: PH jumps to 132nd in 2023 press freedom index

On Thursday, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility reported 75 cases of violations against media workers since Marcos took office.

READ: CMFR logs 75 press freedom violations under Marcos admin