Rappler ordered to shutdown as Prez Duterte ends term
MANILA: Philippine Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa pledged on Wednesday to fight an order by the corporate regulator to shut down her online news site Rappler, known for its critical reporting of President Rodrigo Duterte’s policies.
The ruling against Rappler, handed down by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Tuesday, comes at a time when activists and journalists fear there will be no let up in challenges to press freedom under the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos who begins his term on Thursday.
“We will continue to do our jobs. Our reporters will continue to hold the line, will continue to report, and will continue to demand that access is there,” Ressa told a media briefing, in which she described the SEC decision as “intimidation”.
The SEC on Tuesday affirmed its 2018 ruling rescinding the operating licence of Rappler for violating foreign equity restrictions on domestic media when it sold depositary rights to a foreign entity.
Rappler had argued the Omidyar Network, the philanthropic arm of EBay founder Pierre Omidyar, was a silent investor.
Omidyar cut ties by donating the depository receipts to Rappler’s staff.
Duterte’s legacy
Duterte often incited violence and ordered police to shoot dead suspects in a drug war that has killed thousands. But analysts say he is unlikely to face charges after he steps down Thursday.
Duterte’s signature policy to rid the country of drugs has been widely condemned and sparked an international probe into a possible crime against humanity. But the 77-year-old is still hugely popular among many in the Philippines who support his quick-fix solutions to crime, and he remains a potent political force.
Last month’s election results reinforced Duterte’s bulwark against potential prosecution after he leaves office, analysts said.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr, son of the country’s late dictator, won the presidency after striking a powerful alliance with Duterte’s daughter, Sara, who was elected vice president.
Marcos Jr has backed Duterte’s drug war and signalled his government will not cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into the killings.
“The election basically decided that there would not be a serious investigation into President Rodrigo Duterte’s role in the drug war for the next six years,” said Greg Wyatt, director for business intelligence at PSA Philippines Consultancy.
A self-professed killer, Duterte told officers to fatally shoot narcotics suspects if their lives were at risk. He defended the crackdown, saying it had saved families and prevented the Philippines from turning into a “narcopolitics state”.
Government data show more than 6,200 people have died in police anti-drug operations since Duterte was swept to power in 2016. Rights groups say Duterte created a climate of impunity and estimate that tens of thousands have been killed.