The Philippines is not failing at press freedom by accident. It is failing by design—or at the very least, by tolerance. In 2026, the country ranks 114th out of around 180 nations in the World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders, scoring 46.79—classified under a “difficult” environment. In Southeast Asia, it sits at 5th place, behind Timor-Leste (30th globally), Thailand (92nd), Malaysia (95th), and Brunei (96th). This is not a region known for strong press prote