Stronger legal safeguards for student journalists and institutional support for campus publications are being pushed in Congress through a proposed measure aimed at addressing gaps in the country’s campus journalism law.

Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima filed House Bill No. 8718, or the “Campus Press Freedom Act,” which seeks to repeal Republic Act No. 7079 and introduce protections against censorship, funding constraints, and administrative interference.

“Threats and intimidation have become more pervasive, underscoring the need for stronger legal protections for campus journalists,” de Lima said.

She added that student journalists continue to face harassment and censorship from school administrations, as well as reported cases of red-tagging and surveillance allegedly involving state forces, including the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

In her explanatory note, de Lima described RA 7079 as “seriously flawed and insufficient” in protecting campus publications and student journalists’ rights and welfare. She cited key deficiencies, including the non-mandatory collection of publication fees—the primary funding source of many student publications—and the absence of a requirement for schools to establish or maintain campus publications.

She also noted that the existing law lacks a penalty clause, allowing school administrations to commit violations without consequences.

The proposed measure seeks to address these gaps by mandating all public and private educational institutions, from elementary to tertiary levels, to establish student publications and revive those that have ceased operations. It also aims to guarantee editorial independence and ensure a more reliable funding mechanism through publication fees collected by school administrations.

Under the bill, individuals who willfully interfere with, restrain, or coerce student publications or journalists in the exercise of their functions may face penalties, including a fine ranging from ₱150,000 to ₱250,000 or imprisonment of one to five years.

“Sa disiplina, husay, tapang, at proteksyon sa pag-uulat ng ating mga student journalists, bukod sa maitataguyod ang karapatan sa malayang pamamahayag, ay mas mailalantad ang mga baluktot na polisiya at pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan, malalabanan ang fake news at disinformation, at mas maihahayag ang katotohanan hindi lang sa mga kapwa nila mag-aaral kundi pati na sa marami pa nating kababayan,” de Lima said.

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