Twelve years after the Ampatuan Massacre, the Union of Journalists of the Philippines – UP (UJP-UP) launches its annual campaign, Break Free, to raise awareness on the culture of impunity and media killings in the country.

Break Free is a series of events that includes a forum, an exhibit and protests but due to the pandemic, the events will be held again virtually this year.

In light of the recent cyberattacks against media organizations, a webinar on cybersecurity was held last Nov. 12 that focused on how campus journalists and media practitioners can protect themselves from cyberattacks.

With the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Law and rampant media attacks and censorship, a discussion forum was held on Nov. 22, which highlighted the importance of ethical journalism in preparation for the 2022 national elections.

On the 12th anniversary of the Ampatuan Massacre on Nov. 23, an online protest was held together with representatives and speakers from different organizations in the UP College of Mass Communication (UP CMC), student publications and media organizations to continue calling for justice for the victims and their families.

Break Free 2021 will open its virtual exhibit on Nov. 27, featuring various creative works and artistic interpretations of fighting for press freedom and calling for the end of impunity.

Last year, the collection consisted of nine illustrations, literary works and visual stories from individual contributors that highlighted the media’s role to push for truth and justice amidst attacks and crackdowns.

A research project on the continuous culture of impunity and the attacks against the media will also be released to shed light on the current media issues being faced in the country amid the culture of impunity.

In 2020, together with the UP Journalism Club, the project probed into the unresolved issues of the Ampatuan Massacre following the verdict of last 2019, 10 years after the incident.

With the national elections drawing to a close in May 2022, Break Free 2021, together with the UP Journalism Club, UP Diliman College of Mass Communication Student Council, the UP Diliman University Student Council and Malaya – UP Diliman will focus on the media practitioners who are at the forefront of the democratic struggle and who are among the most vulnerable to election-related violence.

Since 2013, Break Free is a campaign held annually in November to commemorate and condemn the Ampatuan massacre in 2009, the single deadliest attack on media in world history.

UJP-UP is the student and research arm of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP). You may learn more about our month-long activities through: facebook.com/BreakFreeFromImpunity