(Eagle News)—“We will let the law take its course.”
This was the Palace’s reaction to the Court of Appeals decision to affirm its earlier ruling in favor of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s decision against Rappler.
“As we said, any case that has been filed before the courts, we will not interfere,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.
Panelo also reiterated press freedom had nothing to do with the Rappler’s case before the SEC, which ruled the media outfit’s license to operate should be revoked because it violated constitutional requirements on mass media ownership when it sold Philippine Depositary Receipts to Omidyar Network.
The CA ruled in July last year and later this month that the SEC did not err in its decision, but ordered it to look into the possible legal effects of Omidyar’s subsequent donation of the shares to Rappler’s staff, who are all Filipinos.
The CA ordered the SEC to check whether this mitigated or cured the offense which Rappler was alleged to have committed.