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Philippine news site Rappler ordered to shut down

A Philippine news site co-founded by Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa has been ordered to shut down, the company said Wednesday, a day before President Rodrigo Duterte -- its arch-nemesis -- leaves office.

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© MARIA TANRappler co-founder Maria Ressa has been a vocal critic of President Rodrigo Duterte
Ressa has been a vocal critic of Duterte and the deadly drug war he launched in 2016, triggering what media advocates say is a grinding series of criminal charges, probes and online attacks against her and Rappler.

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© Maria TANPhilippine news site Rappler has been ordered to shut down
The latest blow was delivered by the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission.

In a statement Wednesday, it confirmed the "revocation of the certificates of incorporation" of Rappler for violating "constitutional and statutory restrictions on foreign ownership in mass media".

Rappler said the decision "effectively confirmed the shutdown" of the company and vowed to appeal, describing the proceedings as "highly irregular".

"We have discussed all possible scenarios with Rapplers (staff) since SEC issued its first order in 2018," Glenda Gloria, executive editor and co-founder of the site, told reporters.

"Nothing ever sufficiently prepares an organization for a 'kill' order."

Rappler has had to fight for survival as Duterte's government accused it of violating a constitutional ban on foreign ownership in securing funding, as well as tax evasion.

It has also been accused of cyber libel -- a new criminal law introduced in 2012, the same year Rappler was founded.

Duterte has attacked the website by name, calling it a "fake news outlet", over a story about one of his closest aides.

The news portal is accused of allowing foreigners to take control of its website through its parent Rappler Holdings' issuance of "depositary receipts".

Under the constitution, investment in media is reserved for Filipinos or Filipino-controlled entities.

The case springs from the 2015 investment from the US-based Omidyar Network, which was established by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar.

Omidyar later transferred its investment in Rappler to the site's local managers to stave off efforts by Duterte to shut it down.

Ressa, who is also a US citizen, and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October for their efforts to "safeguard freedom of expression".

Ressa is fighting at least seven court cases, including an appeal against a conviction in a cyber libel case, for which she is on bail and faces up to six years in prison.

The International Center for Journalists has urged the Philippine government to reverse its order to shut down Rappler.

"This legal harassment not only costs Rappler time, money and energy. It enables relentless and prolific online violence designed to chill independent reporting," ICFJ said in a statement posted on Twitter.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son of the Philippines' former dictator who presided over widespread human rights abuses and corruption, succeeds Duterte on Thursday.

Activists fear Marcos Jr's presidency could worsen human rights and freedom of speech in the country.

FROM: AFP NEWS
 
I agree, super biased.
it's not that they're super biased, it is because of the anomalies inside that made them suffer, same goes with ABS-CBN. All have the freedom to express their thoughts and share what's the truth even if it can harm, but in their case, it's more like a money deal rather than truth.

it's not that they're super biased, it is because of the anomalies inside that made them suffer, same goes with ABS-CBN. All have the freedom to express their thoughts and share what's the truth even if it can harm, but in their case, it's more like a money deal rather than truth.
sayang ang mga creative contents nila pati yung staff na gumagawa ng info's para sa masa
 
it's not that they're super biased, it is because of the anomalies inside that made them suffer, same goes with ABS-CBN. All have the freedom to express their thoughts and share what's the truth even if it can harm, but in their case, it's more like a money deal rather than truth.


sayang ang mga creative contents nila pati yung staff na gumagawa ng info's para sa masa
sabagay on point karin, pera pera lang din naman
 
ang isusunod ng kup@l na gobyerno ni BBM ang Verafiles naman.. may tigas ng mukha si Digong na akusahan ang rappler na source ng fake news pero ang mga supporters nya at online attack cunt nya na tulad ni Mocha Uson ang numero unong peddler ng fake news
 
Maalala ko ulit ng abs cbn. Never ko inexpect. Arguably the biggest tv network pero parang wala lang nung pinasara ni PRRD.
 
parang russia talaga datingan gustong kontrolin mga media sources gusto e manipulate gusto talaga ng mga ibang tao na sources vlogers nagkalat maka pera lang sa content
 
sinabi ko na ito noon pa, the 4th estate will be irrelevant soon. decentralize na ang source of information, even an ordinary professor can now be a news reporter or a non graduate investigative journalist(vloggers, bloggers).
 
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