DepEd cancels partnership with Rappler

The Department of Education (DepEd) has terminated two existing agreements with online news outfit Rappler.

Rappler yesterday said it has received “terse letters” from Education Secretary Leonor Briones terminating their agreements on disaster preparedness and the National Schools Press Conference (NSPC).

The letters did not provide additional details but simply invoked a clause in the memoranda of agreement that allows termination of partnership.

“We regret Secretary Briones’ decision, but we are also inspired by what endures – our partnership with various student groups and schools nationwide,” said Rappler in an open letter.

“We will continue to work with them as they tell their stories, learn new skills, and try to make sense of this tough, new world,” it added.

Rappler said the cancellation of the partnership came two weeks before they begin an online publishing contest organized by NSPC.

“Why the department would make such a rushed decision that would jeopardize a project that took months of preparation on the part of the NSPC, DepEd and Rappler merely highlights the unstated reason for DepEd’s action – that they are choosing to sacrifice the ideals of campus journalism to politics,” it added.

Rappler’s partnership with DepEd began in 2012 during the Palarong Pambansa. The current partnerships involve training programs for campus journalists and access to a crowdsourcing platform that would enable teachers and students to report the situation of schools following a disaster.

The news organization said it pushed through with the partnership despite challenged resources to “enable young Filipinos to be the best that they can be and to help provide them the skills they need to get there.”

Rappler said the decision was made during a rushed emergency meeting on Tuesday as a response to malicious reports questioning the partnerships.

DepEd has yet to comment on the matter.

The partnerships were terminated just months after the Securities and Exchange Commission ordered Rappler to shut down operations over supposed violation of the prohibition on the foreign media ownership rule.

The case, which Rappler dubbed as an attack on press freedom, is currently under appeal.

The National Bureau of Investigation is also conducting various investigations against the organization, which previously drew the ire of President Duterte over its critical articles against the government.