Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 26) — The ban prohibiting media outfit Rappler from covering the President’s events and from attending press conferences in Malacañang Palace, does not impede their rights as journalists, the country’s top lawyer said.
This was in response to Rappler reporter Pia Ranada’s petition in April to lift the ban and the media outfit’s petition with journalists from other news agencies in August, to hold oral arguments.
“The mere act of the government enforcing its accreditation rules does not in any way affect or trample upon petitioners’ constitutional freedom of the press,” the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) said in a comment filed Wednesday.
This is the first time the OSG filed a comment on the petitions. It argued that only an accredited “legitimate media entity” can cover President Rodrigo Duterte, under the rules of the International Press Center and the Media Accreditation and Relations Office. Both agencies denied Ranada’s application to renew her accreditation and physical access to the President’s events.
“The government recognizes the role of the free press in our democracy; but our people deserve news reports from legitimate media organizations that comply with rules on accreditation, respect the decisions of tribunals and obey the Constitution and our laws,” said OSG.
This came after the Securities and Exchange Commission revoked Rappler’s registration in January 2018 for allegedly engaging in a fraudulent transaction and circumventing constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership. Ranada’s accreditation expired in December 2017.
OSG added that Rappler still enjoys the freedom of reporting on the President, receiving press releases from the Presidential Communications Operations Office and rebroadcasting presidential events.
Rappler had repeatedly decried the ban, calling it a violation of press freedom.
