MANILA – A “Black Friday” protest initiated by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) is a testament that democracy in the country is much alive, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Friday.
“The Palace position on the matter remains clear and consistent: We allow public displays of constructive criticism as part of full exercise of the protesters’ rights to express their grievances,” Roque said in a press statement.
Roque assured the public that authorities would observe maximum tolerance during the mass action and respect the protesters’ right to peaceful assembly.
NUJP has used social media to invite media practitioners and citizens to join the Black Friday Protest for Freedom at the Boy Scout Circle in Quezon City on Friday night.
The mass protest comes in the wake of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s ruling to revoke the operating license of digital news site Rappler.
The National Press Club (NPC), on the other hand, has defended the SEC ruling, saying there was no curtailment of press freedom since the SEC decision was based on the constitutional requirement that mass media should be 100 percent owned by Filipinos.
NPC president Paul Gutierrez explained the country has thousands of media entities which continue to operate freely.
Malacanang has denied any hand in the SEC decision, saying Rappler “may wish to exhaust all available legal remedies until the final decision becomes final.”
Roque, in a previous media interview, also stressed that President Rodrigo Duterte has nothing to do with the ruling against Rappler. (PNA)