NUJP Rebukes Kaufman, Stands by Journalists Reporting Duterte’s Drug War

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) slammed lawyer Nicholas Kaufman for accusing the media of twisting and sensationalizing coverage of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs.” 

The union called Kaufman’s claims false and misleading.

NUJP said journalists who covered the anti-narcotics campaign faced pressure from corporate managers and media owners, many of whom were hesitant or afraid to challenge a campaign that enjoyed broad support in Congress. 

According to the union, reporting only gained recognition after the death toll rose and persistent reporters, including the so-called “Night Crawlers,” insisted on documenting the killings.

“These reports were not sensationalized for the sake of drama,” NUJP said. 

“They served the public interest and sought justice for people labeled as ‘drug personalities’ who were killed without trial or due process,” they added. 

The union noted that reporters often worked graveyard shifts in dangerous conditions to ensure that these deaths were publicly documented.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) had reported as early as 2017 that thousands of deaths linked to the drug war were documented, yet no one had been prosecuted. 

The CHR pointed to the government’s failure to investigate these killings, highlighting systemic gaps in accountability. 

Even Duterte’s own Department of Justice found irregularities and lapses in police operations after reviewing a limited number of cases. 

NUJP said these findings underscored the necessity of media coverage in exposing human rights violations and ensuring transparency

In defending his client, Kaufman accused the media of spreading false context and deliberately using photographs of drug war victims to shock the public. 

“They print their glossy reports, replete with iconic photographic images of grieving families and dead bodies in rain-swept nighttime crime scenes, all dramatically illuminated with the fluorescent glow of neon,” he said

NUJP criticized Kaufman for repeating long-debunked claims that photos of the drug war dead were staged. 

The union said such statements dishonor the victims and diminish the work of journalists who risked their safety and mental health to cover these events. 

It emphasized that media coverage was a matter of justice and public interest, not sensationalism

The union also argued that Kaufman’s statements echoed Duterte’s own logic, amplified his client’s achievements, and attacked truth-tellers rather than addressing documented facts. 

NUJP called on the public to recognize the critical role of journalists during the campaign and warned against attempts to discredit their work.

“Attacking journalists does not erase the deaths or the evidence of wrongdoing. It only serves to intimidate those committed to reporting the truth,” the union said.

Photo from ICC