Manila (AFP)

The cessation of the broadcasting of ABS-CBN, the main Filipino media group, is extremely worrying for the state of democracy in the archipelago and can legitimately worry all critics of President Rodrigo Duterte, several Wednesday estimated human rights organizations.

Since coming to power in 2016, Mr. Duterte has steadily increased his grip on Philippine institutions, imprisoning or dismissing his most audible detractors. But he had always been careful not to carry out his worst threats against the media criticizing him.

The cessation of the broadcasting of the chains of the group ABS-CBN, intervened Tuesday, recalls the worst hours of the Philippine authoritarianism, estimated Butch Olano, of Amnesty International.

"It is a dark day for media freedom in the Philippines, reminiscent of martial law, when the dictatorship took control of news agencies," said Mr. Olano.

The chains of the group ABS-CBN stopped transmitting a few hours after the government had unexpectedly issued a decree ordering their closure, because of the difficulties of the discussions relating to the renewal of its license.

The 25-year license expired on Monday, but authorities had previously assured that the group could continue broadcasting on a temporary basis.

- "A line crossed" -

The conflict between ABS-CBN and Rodrigo Duterte had started in 2016, the president accusing the group of not having broadcast his campaign clips but of having kept the money paid to do so. Since then, Mr. Duterte has regularly attacked the television, radio and internet group in his speeches.

"All of this stems from President Rodrigo Duterte's personal vendetta against the channel," said the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).

Since his election in 2016, Mr. Duterte, former mayor of Davao who was initially not a favorite for the presidency, has continued to consolidate his power.

One of her staunchest opponents, Senator Leila de Lima, is imprisoned on charges of drug trafficking that she says are completely fabricated.

Others have been sacked from prestigious positions, such as Maria Lourdes Sereno, president of the Supreme Court, which was dismissed in 2018 after a highly disputed legality process.

Several months earlier, in an interview with ABS-CBN precisely, she had considered that Mr. Duterte was threatening democracy.

Mr. Duterte also attacked independent media such as the Rappler news website and the Philippine Daily Inquirer. They have at this stage avoided closure.

Rappler's director, Maria Ressa, faces years in prison in a defamation case which she also considers motivated by her criticism of Mr. Duterte's policy.

The organization Reporters Without Borders placed the archipelago in 136th place in its world press freedom ranking, which includes 180 countries.

Despite all this, the suspension of ABS-CBN seems to further aggravate the conflict between the Duterte government and certain media.

"We have crossed a line," said Carlos Conde of Human Rights Watch. "It is like telling everyone not to bother the government."

He recalled that ABS-CBN had also, in its time, been targeted by ex-dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

© 2020 AFP