The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has denounced the alleged death threats against TV5 network journalist Ed Lingao and host Lourd de Veyra.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Oct. 12, CHR said it has received reports that Lingao and de Veyra had gotten death threats made by an individual named Seth Corteza who claimed that two media personalities would be the next victims of assassination.

The tweet was posted a day after the murder of radio broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa.

“We do not and cannot take lightly any threats or any allusions to harm the lives of journalists, regardless if such statements are deliberate or cursory,” the CHR emphasized.

The Commission said its investigation office would probe into the veracity of threats.

It called the government to address the violation against the media and urged them to take proactive measures to stop the attacks.

“We look forward to their efforts to look into this matter and similar cases of media rights violations committed in the country. CHR hopes for genuine justice and the end of impunity,” CHR added.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) also condemned the online attack against the two known anchors.

“Nandirito ang Department of Justice para protektahan ang press freedom at buhay ng bawat Pilipino. If there is anyone that can provide information on Seth Corteza and/or the information he has regarding the threat on the anchors' lives, please do share them with the nearest police station for verification,” DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano said in a statement as reported by TV5 News.

“Secretary [Jesus Crispin] Remulla believes there is no room in our country for this behavior,” he added.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), meanwhile, reported on Wednesday that the cyber libel charges against "critical journalists" have piled up after the May 2022 election and since President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.’s administration began.

It said that 17 cases of press freedom violations have been documented so far.

NUJP said there are have been “two media killings, four cyberlibel incidents, two arrests over cyberlibel, one libel charge, one surveillance and harassment, two red-tagging, one denial of coverage, one physical assault, one death threat, and two online harassment.”

The group also called on Marcos to denounce media killings and challenged him to turn his promise of protecting journalists into concrete actions.