Group Backs Refiling of Campus Press Freedom Bill

By Juliane Judilla

The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP)–Panay, a broad alliance of student publications and campus journalists, has expressed strong support for Representative-elect Atty. Renee Co of the Kabataan Party-list following her announcement to refile the long-delayed Campus Press Freedom (CPF) Bill.

The announcement was made during a youth dialogue organized by Kabataan Party-list Panay on Saturday, June 7, where Co affirmed that reviving the 14-year-old CPF Bill would be among her top legislative priorities in the opening of the 20th Congress.

“We [Kabataan Party-list] will refile the Campus Press Freedom Bill,” Co declared in response to a campus journalist’s question about the growing number of press freedom violations targeting student publications not only in Panay but nationwide.

“We will work together to make the CPF Bill into the Campus Press Freedom Act,” she added.

CEGP–Panay welcomed the renewed push, saying the bill is essential to safeguarding the rights and safety of campus journalists.

The group reiterated that the bill’s passage would provide legal protection against threats to student press freedom.

“The fight continues,” the guild stated.

“For 14 long years, the Campus Press Freedom Bill—which seeks to uphold and protect the rights of student journalists against all forms of press freedom violations, whether inside or outside campus—has been neglected and sidelined,” it added.

The bill was originally filed in 2011 as House Bill 4287 by then Kabataan Rep. Raymond Palatino and Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño, a former national president of CEGP.

Subsequent versions were filed by Reps. Terry Ridon (HB 1493, 2013), Sarah Elago (HB 3636, 2016; HB 319, 2019), and most recently, Raoul Manuel (HB 1155, 2022), but all have stalled in the Committee on Higher and Technical Education.

CEGP–Panay also lauded Kabataan Party-list for successfully retaining its congressional seat despite political attacks before and during the 2025 election season.

“Kabataan’s win is a victory for the youth sector in making sure their real and actual calls and demands are amplified and acted upon on a legislative scale,” CEGP said.

“Now more than ever, we need a genuine voice of the youth in Congress, in our institutions, and in our communities—one that will champion the rights and welfare of campus publications and push forward policies that reflect our collective aspirations,” the guild added.