18/05/2026
Statement of the UP Diliman College of Media and Communication
On the Crisis of Legitimacy and Conflict Zone at the Senate
May 14, 2026
The College of Media and Communication of the University of the Philippines Diliman reaffirms its commitment to the constitutional right of the people to information on matters of public concern, and to the principle that public institutions must remain transparent, accessible, and accountable.
In the course of a Senate lockdown, shots were fired on the evening of May 13, and the presence of fully armed soldiers and an ensuing stampede have turned the Senate building into a full-blown conflict zone. This was precipitated by the majority blocβs decision to harbor a senator-fugitive subject to an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for crimes against humanity, which has created conditions that undermine the integrity of democratic governance and the safety of media practice.
The Senate as a Conflict Zone
The deployment of close to a thousand police personnel around the Senate perimeter, alongside heavily armed Senate security forces ordered to protect the fugitive senator, and gunfire last night on the Senate corridor, have transformed the legislative grounds into what media practitioners aptly describe as a βconflict zone.β This militarization of a democratic institution erodes public trust and compromises the Senateβs role as a deliberative body. Instead of serving as a venue for accountability and constitutional process, the Senate has become a stage for impunity, spectacle, and international embarrassment.
International coverage has already cast the Philippine Senate as a site of ridicule and chaos, with images of evasive maneuvers by the senator-fugitive circulating globally, and now the firing of guns inside. Such developments not only diminish the credibility of the Senate but also damage the countryβs reputation as a constitutional democracy. The persistence of this crisis signals a dangerous normalization of unlawful behavior within the highest legislative chamber.
Accountability and a System of Justice
The Senate majorityβs actions obstruct the orderly impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, whose accountability is urgently demanded in relation to unaccounted confidential funds amounting to β±612 million, suspicious banking transactions flagged by the Anti-Money Laundering Council, and alleged links to organized violence. Shielding a fugitive senator from lawful arrest undermines a system of justice and delays the pursuit of institutional accountability.
Civil service agencies, the Department of Justice, and other relevant offices remind Senate personnel: they have no duty to carry out illegal orders. Compliance with directives that contravene constitutional and international law exposes personnel to liability and sanctions. Institutional actors must be reminded that loyalty to democratic principles outweighs loyalty to individuals who betray public trust.
We call on the Senate majority to immediately resolve this crisis by not harboring the fugitive senator and allowing due process to proceed. We further call on civil society, media practitioners, and the broader public to remain vigilant and ready to defend democratic accountability. The peopleβs right to truth and justice cannot be subordinated to political expediency or the protection of impunity.
We acknowledge all journalists who have stood their ground to report the truth amid the turmoil in the Senate. Their courage affirms the enduring role of the press as the publicβs witness and conscience. We urge all members of the media to remain steadfastβaccurate, fair, and fearlessβin upholding their professional duty. The peopleβs right to know must never be obscured by propaganda, political theater, or the manufactured βfog of warβ now shrouding the Senate. In moments of crisis, clarity is resistance, and truth is the nationβs defense.
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