It is atrocious for the second-highest official of the land to make such generalizations on journalists and media workers who remain committed to reporting on the truth despite continuing attacks. CAGAYAN DE ORO — A group of journalists denounced the remarks of Vice President Sara Duterte who criticized the state of Philippine journalism falling short of international standards. In a statement, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) acknowledged the reality that newsrooms are not safe from mistakes. “By denigrating Philippine media, [Duterte] is unleashing one of the tactics straight out of a dictator’s playbook: controlling information by demonizing the independent press and weaponizing social media for her propaganda,” NUJP said. For the group, the Vice President’s renewed attacks showed “her authoritarian tendencies and contempt for freedom and democracy.”