DAYS before the observance of National Press Freedom Day, the College Editors Guild of the Philippines, together with Kabataan Party-list, refiled the Campus Press Freedom Bill in the 20th Congress, renewing calls to protect student journalists amid what they described as a worsening education and press freedom crisis.

The proposed measure seeks to repeal the Campus Journalism Act of 1991, which the CEGP has long criticized as outdated and “toothless” in safeguarding the independence of student publications.

Since 2010, the group has documented over 1,000 campus press freedom violations—206 of them recorded just last year. These include cases of censorship, administrative intervention, harassment, red-tagging, and state surveillance.

According to CEGP, attacks against student journalists intensified in the first half of 2025, particularly during the election season. Among the incidents cited were the eviction of Today’s Carolinian, the official student paper of the University of San Carlos in Cebu, from its office while its funds remain withheld, and the harassment of TheSPARK of Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges by a gubernatorial candidate from a powerful political family.

“Violations of campus press freedom have long gone unpunished, as they are often deemed inconsequential by school administrators and the government alike,” said CEGP National Spokesperson Brell Lacerna.

“Instead of genuine protection, what we see are bureaucratic hurdles and anti-student policies designed to maintain control while the education crisis deepens,” Lacerna added.

He stressed that the erosion of campus press freedom mirrors the declining quality of education, citing government data showing that over 18 million high school graduates are unable to adequately read and comprehend.

“If students are stripped of academic freedom and denied a free press, then education becomes a privilege rather than a right,” Lacerna warned.

The Campus Journalism Act of 1991 envisioned student journalism as a tool to strengthen ethical values and critical thinking. But CEGP argued that the prevailing climate of censorship, disinformation, and impunity underscores the urgency of passing a stronger law.

Student publications nationwide maintain that their fight for press freedom is inseparable from the broader struggle for accessible, quality education.