News site Rappler forced to close
The Philippines has been ordered to close the site, but “we continue to work, as usual,” said Maria Ressa, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and co-founder of the media, on Wednesday.
Rappler’s offices in Manila on June 29, 2022.
AFP
The announcement comes as Rodrigo Duterte’s term as president comes to an end.
Maria Ressa is an outspoken critic of Rodrigo Duterte and his murderous ‘war on drugs’, and his digital site has been the subject of lawsuits and numerous online threats.
The Philippine Securities Commission confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that it had “revoked the certificates that allowed the creation”. The move is based on the fact that the media has violated “constitutional and legal restrictions on foreign rights within the media.”
This result “confirms the closure” of the digital operating system, in the opinion of a rapper who wants to appeal to this “very irregular” practice. “Since the commission issued its first order in 2018, we have discussed all possible scenarios (staff) with Rapler,” said Glenda Gloria, the site’s author and co – founder. “Nothing prepares a creature enough for such + murder”.
Fight for survival
Ropler has been battling for survival since Rodrigo Duterte’s government accused him of tax evasion and violating foreign rights rules in order to obtain funding. The site has been accused of violating cybercrime laws enacted in 2012, the year Rapler was founded. In the past, Rodrigo Duterte has called Ropler an “article misrepresenter in the media” about an article about one of his close aides.
The news portal has been accused of allowing outsiders to seize its website by issuing “deposit certificates” through its parent company, Ruffler Holdings. According to the Constitution, media investments are limited to the Philippines or companies controlled by the Philippines. In 2015, the site released fundraising papers, which were subscribed to by Omidyar Network, an American company founded by eBay Pierre Omidyar.
Maria Ressa, an American citizen, and Dmitry Muradov, a Russian journalist, received the Nobel Peace Prize in October for their efforts to “defend freedom of expression.”
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