September 29, 2025
MANILA – On World News Day, the Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines (PCP) condemned the “violence, harassment, and intimidation committed by state forces against members of the press” during the anti-corruption rally in Manila on September 21.
In a statement on Sunday, the PCP claimed that the news media’s experiences on September 21 “demonstrate a disturbing pattern of hostility towards the press, reflecting a climate of impunity that emboldens state forces to attack those who document civic unrest.”
The PCP cited an incident involving photojournalist Zedrich Madrid, who was seen assaulted by police officers while trying to take photos of an ongoing arrest in Mendiola after the protesters were dispersed.
READ: Remulla says police `pitiful’ after enduring violence during protests
“The moment I saw a police was doing police brutality to a protester, I decided to shoot it [with my camera], but then there were five to 10 police around me, and I didn’t realize it immediately, but I was also beaten with an arnis stick. Thankfully, I was wearing a helmet, and I was also being pulled by the shirt from the side,” Madrid told the Inquirer.
This was also captured in photos by Madrid’s fellow photojournalists.
The PCP also shared that members of the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of the Philippines allegedly faced “intimidation, with some being threatened with batons and riot shields and ordered to stop taking pictures.”
“One week after the incident, no police officer or state agent has been held accountable for the attacks on photojournalists and video journalists—professionals who risk their safety to document the events for the public’s right to know,” the PCP’s statement read.
READ: ICHRP: Sept. 21 Mendiola protesters ‘far from criminals’
“Police officers, ununiformed, armed intelligence agents, and other members of the state forces must be taught how to respect human rights and the rights of the free press. The culture of impunity is perpetuated when those tasked to protect instead become perpetrators of abuse,” the PCP continued.
It also demanded an investigation into the attacks on journalists, accountability from police officers, and “concrete safeguards” for journalists in protests and public assemblies.
“PCP will not waver in defending the rights and safety of those who bring the truth to light through their lens,” the statement further read.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla denied any violence by the police during the September 21 rallies and instead claimed that the police were the ones “hit” and “beaten up” by protesters
Malacañang also described the protesters involved in the alleged riot as “criminals,” but rights groups denounced both the arrests and violence towards protesters and the media alike.