(Eagle News)– Several journalists have filed a petition for intervention before the Supreme Court, and asked the High Court to order the lifting of the ban on Rappler’s coverage of President Rodrigo Duterte’s activities.
The petition was filed by former SC spokesperson Theodore Te on behalf of 41 journalists and columnists who included broadcast journalists Atom Araullo, Mariz Umali, Raffy Tima; former Inquirer.net editor in chief John Nery, Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter Marlon Ramos, Inday Varona and PDI columnist Solita Monsod.
“While petitioners-in-intervention have not been physically barred from reporting on the President’s activities, the ban articulated by the President in his March 1, 2018 speech is already in place and it extends not only to Rappler and to its reporters and staff but also to any journalist who would write or broadcast anything that the President deems to be ‘fake news’,” the petition said.
The ban on Rappler stemmed from the Securities and Exchange Commission’s revocation of the media outfit’s license to operate, after the commission ruled it violated the constitutional restriction on media ownership when it issued Philippine Depositary Receipts to foreign entity Omidyar.
Rappler appealed the decision and announced the PDRs had been donated by Omidyar to Rappler managers.
The Court of Appeals, however, denied Rappler’s appeal, but asked the SEC to look into the legal repercussions of the donation.