I personally find it very disconcerting that the current administration is using legal means to silence and intimidate critics. They started with Senator Leila de Lima and they are now doing it to Rappler and Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, among others.

Remember, when Marcos shut down newspapers and TV and radio stations at the onset of Martial Law, it was also considered legal. That does not make it morally right.

Therefore I am joining many other bloggers in signing the following statement.

We concerned Filipino bloggers stand for the rights to free expression and to free speech. And our first responsibility is to protect these rights.

We thus stand with Rappler, its right to exist, the rights of its working journalists and contributors, and the rights of its community of readers.

We stand against moves to silence and scare journalists, bloggers and media practitioners just because the President and his ardent supporters dislike their news and views.

Now is a time for making choices amid battles between truth and lies, debate and dissonance, democracy and dictatorship.

We sign our names here to tell everyone we have made a choice. We are bloggers for freedom.

Signed:

• Noemi Lardizabal-Dado

• Tonyo Cruz

• Dale Bacar

• Marcelle Fabie

• Myk Mykapalaran Cruz

• Rod Magaru

• Ely Valendez

• Alex Lapa

• Tess Termulo

• Zena Bernardo

• Jover Laurio

• James Romer V. Velina

• Ramon Nocon

• Flow Galindez

• Helga Weber

• Mc Richard Viana Paglicawan

• Raymond Palatino

• Loi Landicho

• Saul de Jesus

• Karlo Mongaya

• Ricky Rivera

• Mark Will Mayo Magallanes

• Eyriche Cortez

• Julius Mariveles

• Yusuf Ledesma

• RJ Barrete

• Dino Manrique

• Peachy Tan

• Rhadem Camlian Morados

• Julius Rocas

• Jon Limjap

• Markku Seguerra

• Jam Ancheta

• Estan Cabigas

• Enrico Dee

• Acee Vitangcol

• Stefan Punongbayan

• Jesus Falcis

• Hancel Reyes

• Czarina Maye Noche

• JM Mariano

• Reginald Agsalon

• John Clifford Sibayan

• Jane Uymatiao

• Johnn Mendoza

• Carlos Celdran

• Christian Melanie

• Jann Medina

• Carlo Arvisu

• Inday Espina Varona

• Eugene Alvin Villar

• Melo Villareal

• Brian Ong

• JM Tuazon

• Fritz Tentativa

• Fitz Villafuerte

• Tina Antonio

• Mykel Andrada

• Reynaldo Pagsolingan Jr.

• Renz Daniel de Vera

Published on January 19, 2018, Black Friday.

If you are a blogger (now or in the past) and would wish to sign the statement, please visit http://bit.ly/bloggersforfreedom.