PROTEST Members of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines rally on Wednesday at Mendiola, Manila, against a decision by the Securities and Exchange Commission to close the online news site Rappler,warning that media critical of President Duterte were targets of repression. 鈥擩OAN BONDOC
President Rodrigo Duterte and Rappler locked horns over fake news and press freedom after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) decided to shut down the online news site for alleged violations of the Constitution and corporate regulations.
In a scathing attack against Rappler a day after the SEC made public its decision, the President on Tuesday called it a 鈥渇ake news outlet鈥� that published stories 鈥渞ife with innuendos and pregnant with falsity.鈥�
鈥淪ince you are a fake news outlet, then I am not surprised that your articles are also fake,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e can debate now. Tell me where is our lies and I鈥檒l tell you where are yours.鈥�
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not only throwing toilet paper. You鈥檙e throwing shit at us. You have gone too far,鈥� he added.
Rappler鈥檚 response
Responding to Mr. Duterte鈥檚 outburst, Rappler鈥檚 managing editor, Glenda Gloria, threw back the President鈥檚 accusations at him.
鈥淭he President knows who produces fake news in the Philippines, and it certainly is not Rappler,鈥� Gloria said. 鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 have to look far from where he sits in Malaca帽ang.鈥�
Mocha Uson, Presidential Communications Operations Office assistant secretary, has been accused of spreading fake news.
She has denied the charge, saying she herself has been a聽 victim of fake news.
Rappler鈥檚 reports have included allegations that the Duterte administration has 鈥渨eaponized鈥� social media to discredit and generate online hate against his most vocal detractors.
The SEC revoked Rappler鈥檚 certificates of incorporation and registration for allegedly violating the constitutional restriction on 100-percent Filipino ownership and control of mass media entities.
Rappler has denied any foreign control over its operations and would appeal the decision.
Francis Lim, a lawyer for Rappler, cited a Supreme Court ruling saying that 鈥渃ontrol 鈥� is done through [the] board of directors who manages the company.鈥�
鈥淚f there is any violation at all, we believe that the penalty meted out by the SEC is too severe,鈥� Lim said in an interview with ANC television on Wednesday.
鈥業 don鈥檛 even know SEC鈥�
Mr. Duterte said he couldn鈥檛 care less whether Rappler continued to operate or not, and challenged it to prove that he was behind the SEC鈥檚 move against it.
鈥淲hy would I have it closed? I don鈥檛 even know that son of a bitch SEC. They are all Aquino appointees,鈥� he said.
Solicitor General Jose Calida on Dec. 22, 2016, requested an inquiry into the 鈥減ossible contravention of the strict requirements of the 1987 Constitution,鈥� the SEC said.
Lengthy rant
Calida denied Malaca帽ang ordered him to pursue the case against Rappler, saying he was 鈥渏ust doing [his] job.鈥�
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Wednesday defended Mr. Duterte鈥檚 lengthy rant the day before against Rappler and other news organizations he considered unfair to him and said he did not mean to threaten the press.
鈥淭he President is a lawyer, he honors the Bill of Rights, he has no problem with the Bill of Rights,鈥� Roque told reporters.
鈥淲hat you are seeing from the President鈥攐r what you saw for instance from the President last night鈥攊s also the exercise of free speech on the part of a President who feels that he has not been getting the right kind of treatment from the media,鈥� he added.
Mr. Duterte ridiculed Rappler鈥檚 argument that the SEC decision constituted harassment. 鈥淟ook, why should you complain if I am critical against media? Are you not critical of me?鈥� he said.
鈥淒on鈥檛 abuse it (press freedom) too much. It鈥檚 a privilege in a democratic state. You have overused and abused that privilege in the guise of press freedom,鈥� he said.
Foreign press organizations and human rights groups have rallied behind Rappler, joining a chorus of domestic outrage among the media and political opposition at what they see as moves to muzzle those scrutinizing Mr. Duterte.
Shawn Crispin, the senior Southeast Asia representative of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, on Wednesday said the 鈥減oliticized鈥� move by the SEC represented 鈥渁 clear and immediate danger to press freedom in the Philippines.鈥�
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism said the SEC鈥檚 鈥渉arsh鈥� decision came with 鈥渉orrifying implications on the full and untrammeled exercise of press freedom.鈥� 鈥擶ith reports from Nikko Dizon, Allan Nawal, and the wires