Frenchie Mae’s arrest, prolonged detention, and eventual conviction for terror financing – based largely on testimonial evidence – form part of a broader pattern: the use of terror-tagging and anti-terror laws to blur the line between journalism and criminality. This practice did not end with the Duterte administration. Despite having the power to reverse course, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has failed to dismantle the mechanisms that allow such prosecutions to persist.

Social media platforms backed by multi-million dollar companies must also be held accountable in the proliferation of disinformation, and not just profit from the crisis, political scientist Cleve Arguelles urged.

State-related violence remains widespread in the last month of 2025. Certain regions, such as Eastern Visayas and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, have become consistent hotspots of state-related violence.

Warring political factions will turn to more disinformation to get ahead of the competition in the run-up to the 2028 presidential elections.