Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the closure of Rappler, a leading local news site that was co-founded by Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa, two days before the end of his six-year term.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission confirmed the “revocation of the certificates of incorporation” of Rappler for violating “constitutional and statutory restrictions on foreign ownership in mass media.”
The president has just recently admitted that he really used his powers to target ABS-CBN. Then they blocked the websites of Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly. And now they want to shut down Rappler completely. This is digital martial law. https://t.co/VrE3nPenRX
— Philip Jamilla (@pmjamilla) June 28, 2022
The outlet was known to be openly critical of the outgoing president, especially his long-standing and infamous War on Drugs campaign. It is speculated that Duterte’s war on drugs has resulted in the killings of thousands for suspected involvement in the drugs trade since Duterte took office in 2016. In fact, between July 1, 2016, to March 16, 2019, the Philippines’ security forces and state-sanctioned “vigilantes” killed between 12,000 and 30,000 people suspected of being involved in the drug trade.
In retaliation, Duterte has in the past called Rappler a “fake news outlet” over a story unearthing corruption by one of his closest aides. His government has also attempted to shut down the news outlet by filing lawsuits questioning its ownership and accusing it of tax evasion. He has also refused to cooperate with International Criminal Court probes in the past and has previously also instructed the country’s police forces to do so as well.
Rappler CEO @mariaressa and lawyer Francis Lim hold a press briefing on SEC decision. #DefendPressFreedom #CourageON #HoldTheLine
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) June 29, 2022
Watch here: https://t.co/oUbeoNUc4m pic.twitter.com/4vzittAxgv
Ressa faces a multitude of legal challenges, including at least 10 arrest warrants. She has also appealed against a conviction in a cyber libel case, for which she is currently on bail and faces up to six years in jail. Media advocates reckon that Rappler’s open criticism of the Duterte administration sparked the “series of criminal charges, probes, and online attacks” against Ressa as well as her company.
Ressa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last October, with the Norwegian Nobel Committee applauding the journalist’s “courageous fight for freedom of expression.” However, despite the high-profile international recognition, the Philippines government refused to acknowledge the award for almost three days. Moreover, government spokesperson Harry Roque said, “[She is] a convicted felon for cyber libel, and she faces other cases in the Philippines… Of course, it is true there are individuals who feel Maria Ressa still has to clear her name before the courts.”
We stand with Rappler, its journalists and staff as the government continues to try to shut them down pic.twitter.com/RZDs5lUg7Q
— NUJP (@nujp) June 29, 2022
In response to the suppressive move, Rappler said the government’s decision “effectively confirmed” the company’s shutdown, but said that it would appeal the decision. “We have discussed all possible scenarios with Rappler’s (staff) since [the] SEC issued its first order in 2018. Nothing ever sufficiently prepares an organization for a ‘kill’ order,” Glenda Gloria, Rappler’s executive editor and co-founder said. Gloria also described the court’s proceedings as “highly irregular.”
Duterte, who completes his term tomorrow, will be replaced by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Marcos, the son and namesake of the Philippines’ former dictator, whose leadership resulted in widespread human rights abuses and corruption. Activists fear that the Marcos Jr. presidency could worsen the country’s human rights situation and result in further restrictions on freedom of speech.