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World Press Freedom Day 2019: Jover Laurio

May 2, 2019

On World Press Freedom Day 2019, some of DW's champions of free speech speak their minds on the importance of press freedom in the world. Jover Laurio, a blogger from the Philippines, is one of them.

https://p.dw.com/p/3Hp3G
Jover Laurio

"Hi, I am Jover, a blogger, an ordinary citizen, and an advocate of freedom of speech and the press in the Philippines.

An unrestrained environment of expression is what keeps democracies alive. It pursues the truth, it stands up to power, and it exposes abuses against the oppressed, the powerless, and the vulnerable.

In the Philippines, the attacks on media practitioners and the proliferation of fake news prove one thing: a tyrannical government will always see free press and expression as enemies. As a person who's been on the receiving end of the attacks, it takes courage and love for the country to continue fighting.

BUT I WILL.

As an advocate, I join the global community in the fight to protect free speech in all forms. I call for media institutions, working for and with the people, to choose truth over power, and to use their voices to speak for those who are silenced.

We will hold the line."