Gabriela condemns attacks on women journalists in Manila

Women’s rights group Gabriela has condemned recent attacks on female journalists covering former President Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity case at the International Criminal Court (ICC). The group stated that these incidents are part of a troubling trend of misogyny among Duterte's supporters. In the last two weeks, several journalists, including Zen Hernandez of ABS-CBN News, Mariz Umali of GMA News, and Gretchen Ho of TV5, have faced online harassment. Gabriela highlighted a specific incident involving Umali, who was misheard in a video, leading to sexist comments about her on social media. Umali clarified that she was talking about the eyes of a former government official, not making a derogatory remark. Gabriela's secretary general, Clarice Palce, mentioned that these attacks are intended to discredit journalists and intimidate media professionals who report on accountability and justice. She emphasized that targeting women journalists undermines press freedom and reflects Duterte's administration's normalization of misogyny. In support of the journalists, Hernandez and Ho shared statements reinforcing that harassment is not valid criticism and is an attack on democracy. Additionally, ICC judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc and human rights lawyer Kristina Conti have also been subjected to cyberbullying. Former Kabataan Representative Sarah Elago called on social media companies, especially Facebook, to address and remove misogynistic content. She stated that allowing harmful comments to stay online contributes to gender-based violence.