The Death of Freedom of Speech
I remember exactly where I was when the news broke out.It was morning and I was in school,I was
scrolling continually through my phone,when a news report caught my eye — one that brought back
memories of local issues around free speech in our own schools and community. At first glance, I didn’t
believe it,I thought it was another misinformation to fool people on the internet and such a thing
wouldn't happen now.In recent years, Passi City students and educators have participated in ingenuity
to fight misinformation, such as media literacy workshops to teach students how to identify fake news,
according to Daily Guardian.
But apart from fighting misinformation, there have been local debates in the Philippines about how
concerns over free speech and political discourse affect students. For instance, in Passi City, there were
past controversies over whether student scholars were required to attend political events sparking
debates about whether students truly had freedom to choose their participation in political agendas,
according to Rappler.
Then came national news about an assassination that marked the silence of the very essence of
freedom of speech. Charlie Kirk was shot dead on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University. He was
in the middle of his “Prove Me Wrong American Comeback Tour,” speaking to a crowd of college
students, when a single rifle shot struck him dead in the neck, according to CBS News. Authorities said
the motive behind the attack was the victim's speech.
That kind of news feels unreal, especially when it happens in a place meant for learning and
enlightenment — places like schools in our city that have been nurturing not just academic excellence
but also mental health support and understanding so students can engage safely with differing ideas and
disagreements.
Freedom of speech in schools, whether here or elsewhere, is a contentious principle, because it’s not
only about saying what you want to say, but also about how society secures or limits speech to keep
students protected while allowing them to express themselves. One such example is the conduct of
media literacy workshops which assist students in knowing truth from misinformation, an important
component of speech in the digital era.
I remember exactly where I was when the news broke out.It was morning and I was in school,I was
scrolling continually through my phone,when a news report caught my eye — one that brought back
memories of local issues around free speech in our own schools and community. At first glance, I didn’t
believe it,I thought it was another misinformation to fool people on the internet and such a thing
wouldn't happen now.In recent years, Passi City students and educators have participated in ingenuity
to fight misinformation, such as media literacy workshops to teach students how to identify fake news,
according to Daily Guardian.
But apart from fighting misinformation, there have been local debates in the Philippines about how
concerns over free speech and political discourse affect students. For instance, in Passi City, there were
past controversies over whether student scholars were required to attend political events sparking
debates about whether students truly had freedom to choose their participation in political agendas,
according to Rappler.
Then came national news about an assassination that marked the silence of the very essence of
freedom of speech. Charlie Kirk was shot dead on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University. He was
in the middle of his “Prove Me Wrong American Comeback Tour,” speaking to a crowd of college
students, when a single rifle shot struck him dead in the neck, according to CBS News. Authorities said
the motive behind the attack was the victim's speech.
That kind of news feels unreal, especially when it happens in a place meant for learning and
enlightenment — places like schools in our city that have been nurturing not just academic excellence
but also mental health support and understanding so students can engage safely with differing ideas and
disagreements.
Freedom of speech in schools, whether here or elsewhere, is a contentious principle, because it’s not
only about saying what you want to say, but also about how society secures or limits speech to keep
students protected while allowing them to express themselves. One such example is the conduct of
media literacy workshops which assist students in knowing truth from misinformation, an important
component of speech in the digital era.
