Discord Ban Philippines: Same Date as Martial Law, 54 Years On
On Sept. 23, Filipinos opening Discord were met with a notice that the National Telecommunications Commission had blocked the platform. Within a day, the ban was lifted and the government apologized.
But the episode raised a question that goes beyond one platform: how easily can the State restrict access to a digital space used by millions of Filipinos?
Why It Happened
The government said it was responding to the Sept. 18 shooting at Banga National High School in South Cotabato, the country’s third school shooting since June. Officials blamed a network they call Nihilistic Violent Extremism, which they say grooms teenagers online, and said they suspect links to the attack.
But authorities have not established that any online community caused or contributed to the shooting. The directive itself did not claim Discord or Reddit were responsible.
There Are Other Ways to Act
The Discord block disrupted the livelihoods of people who rely on Discord for work, including freelancers and virtual assistants.
Better approaches are already on the table. A bill pending in the Senate, the proposed Safe Online Spaces Act , seeks to promote responsible use of social media, gaming services and other digital platforms while strengthening online safeguards for children.
It also provides for stronger safety measures in schools and easier access to mental health and guidance services, allowing teachers, parents and authorities to intervene before bullying or violent behavior escalates.
Same Date, 54 Years Apart
Martial law was announced on the evening of Sept. 23, 1972. In the early hours of that day, forces loyal to Ferdinand Marcos shut down 7 television stations, 16 national dailies, 11 weekly magazines, 66 community newspapers, and 292 radio stations. The justification was a national emergency.
The takeover was to last “for the duration of the present national emergency.” The press that eventually returned was the press the regime permitted, publishing only with government clearance. It took more than a decade, and a revolution, to win back the rest.
History rarely returns in full costume. It comes back in smaller steps, each one testing whether anyone will object. First, a platform is blocked. Then comes a demand for a local office, then a demand for cooperation, then a demand for removals.
More Pressure on Online Platforms
Reddit’s latest transparency report shows the National Bureau of Investigation asked it to remove about 74 posts for alleged defamation of politicians and public figures, including accusations of corruption.
Reddit removed none, saying the posts broke no rules and amounted to criticism of public figures and commentary on the news.
READ: Engineers of Corruption: Like Father, Like Son
What martial law taught Filipinos is not that authoritarianism arrives with tanks. It is that people accept each step because each step seems reasonable, temporary, and aimed at someone else.
In 1972, it took one night to silence a nation’s press. In 2026, it took one day to switch off a platform. The ban has been lifted, but the power behind it has not gone anywhere.