Roxas: Important that press remains free

LEGAZPI CITY — “It is important that the press remains free. They are in the same rank as the government in good governance so that they remain transparent,” former senator and 2019 senatorial hopeful Mar Roxas said Friday as journalists all over the world celebrate World Press Freedom Day.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Unesco), 99 journalists were killed in 2018, raising the number of media-related violence to 1,307 since 1994.

“Press freedom is the cornerstone of democratic societies. All states, all nations, are strengthened by information, debate, and the exchange of opinions,” Unesco Director-General Audrey Azoulay said in a press statement published on their website.

“The existence of free, pluralistic, and independent media is a prerequisite for the proper functioning of democracies. Independent journalism provides an opportunity to present facts to citizens and to form an opinion. Press freedom guarantees transparent societies where everyone can access information. Independent journalism analyzes the world and makes it accessible to all, working for the diversity of opinion,” she said.