London – Two days before Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte left office, the Rappler news site, run by Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa, received a notification from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that your license to work has been revoked.

Ressa, who shared the award with Russian Dmitry Muratov, refused to shut down the site and declared his intention to fight to the end to keep the government-critical vehicle operational, appealing to the country’s Supreme Court and resisting a possible blockage of offices. .

Muratov was not so lucky. He He had to close Novaya Gazeta in March, After receiving notices from the Russian government in response to the broadcast of the war in Ukraine, which could lead to permanent revocation of the license.

Nobel did not relieve pressure on Filipino journalist

The reason for the shutdown is not directly related to the content Rappler posted, as in Russia, but to a case in which the site was accused of violating foreign media ownership rules.

Rappler Holdings has issued bonds (Philippine Depositary Receipts, PDRs) to foreign investor Omidyar, which would be a violation of the constitutional provision establishing zero foreign control over newspaper companies.

The initial decision to revoke Rappler’s license as part of this process was made and appealed in 2018. Omidyar donated his PDRs to Rappler’s Filipino administrators, which the site’s legal team believes will clear up a potential breach.

However, the process continued. In its June 28 post, the SEC instructed Rappler’s company registration and monitoring department to revoke incorporation documents, stating that “given that the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision has become final, the claim is now justified.”

In a memo announcing the order’s receipt, Rappler classifies the decision as “highly irregular.”

RAPPLER DESCRIPTION

By order of June 28, our Securities and Exchange Commission has approved the decision to revoke the founding documents of Rappler Inc and Rappler Holdings Corporation. #stay even #CesaretON
https://t.co/39bL0KJ2Dw pic.twitter.com/8Q0N6551lh

— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) 29 June 2022

“We have a legal right of appeal to the highest court in the country. And we will resume our normal activities, In our view, the order cannot be enforced immediately without court approval,” Rappler said in a statement Wednesday, June 29.

Legal harassment to silence critical journalists

So-called legal harassment has been one of the main weapons used by authoritarian governments or political leaders to try to silence media outlets or individual journalists. The administration of Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines was an example of this practice.

Two weeks ago, the government announced that other sites were blocked for alleged “communist links”.

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Duterte government blocks independent media in Philippines for ‘communist link’

Maria Ressa is one of the main victims of such actions. As a fierce critic of the Duterte administration’s violent anti-drug policy, a a string of charges, investigations and online attacks against himself and the vehicle he helped found.

That’s why he was recognized as one of the most persecuted journalists worldwide today, and was eventually awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

However, although some cases brought by individuals were dropped, recognition did not lessen the persecution.

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Businessman drops lawsuit against Filipino journalist Maria Ressa

At a news conference in Manila this Wednesday (2), the Rapper’s chief legal counsel, Francis Lim, said the legislation allows for an appeal to reverse the CVM’s order.

Lim announced that Rappler would argue that PDRs do not violate the Constitution.

“There is a huge difference between deposit receipts and stocks. “This is an area of ​​contention, and given the importance of this case and its implications for press freedom, we hope the Supreme Court will finally resolve this crucial issue.”

He said he understood that while the appeal was being considered, the commission could not force it to close. But he didn’t rule out the possibility of the Philippine CVM physically blocking Rappler’s offices.

“We do our best to prepare for all scenarios, including the worst-case scenario,” Lim said.

Rappler added that if the blockade continues pending the Supreme Court’s consideration of the appeal, the defense will seek to obtain a temporary restraining order or injunctive relief.

“We have plans from A to Z. Our goal is to continue, we will not voluntarily give up our rights, indeed we should not. “We will definitely continue to operate normally,” said Rappler CEO Maria Ressa.

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Nobel Peace Prize for Journalists Recognizes Press Cruelty as a Threat to Peace and Democracy

Rodrigo Duterte, the enemy of journalists and the free press

The outgoing president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, is cited by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) as one of the predators of press freedom in the world. List published in 2021 that also includes President Jair Bolsonaro.

In RSF’s annual press freedom rankings, the country ranks 147th out of 180 countries. The party underlines the verbal attacks and judicial harassment against any media deemed critical of the government, such as that of Nobel Peace Prize journalist Maria Ressa.

The report points to the use of laws on ownership and taxation of media companies as key tools to prosecute the press for opposing government actions, including drug policy.

Another tool is the so-called red labeling, which lists journalists who do not follow the government’s line as communists.

Rodrigo Duterte is leaving the presidency this Thursday (30), but his daughter Sara will become the country’s new vice president. As a result, it seems unlikely that his policies, including threats to press freedom, will be outstripped by the country’s new administration.

The elected president is Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the 64-year-old son of the dictator who ruled the Philippines with an iron fist for 36 years.

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