Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque denied on Monday the accusations that the Duterte administration has participated with the license revocation of the Philippine-based online site Rappler Inc. following the order of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to shut down the news organization for violating the constitutional and statutory foreign equity restrictions in mass media.
Roque, in an interview over DZMM, defended that those allegations were false claims, he said that the administration has nothing to do with it and the decision was solely from the en banc commission. He added that the constitution itself stated that any ownership of mass media shall be limited to citizens of the Philippines.
“Wala pong katotohanan ‘yan dahil ang Saligang Batas naman po ang nagsabi na hindi pupuwede na mag-ari ang mga dayuhan kahit isang share of stocks sa isang negosyo ng mass media. Kinakailangan ‘yan na 100% Filipino [It is not true because the constitution itself stated that those foreign companies cannot own even one share of stocks in a mass media business. It has to be 100% Filipino],” he said.
Roque also believed that the decision of the CES was not favorable to the administration saying that they are not appointed by the President.
“Yung mga nag-desisyon po sa SEC, hindi naman po yan mga appointees ni Presidente Duterte. Yan po ay mga taong walang kaduda-duda ang integridad at ‘yung kanilang pagkakaalam sa corporation law [Those who made decisions in the SEC were not appointed by President Duterte. They are people with integrity and they are knowledgeable about the corporation law],” Roque explained.
On Thursday, January 11, the commission en banc said that Rappler Inc. and its parent Rappler Holdings Corp. violated the Foreign Equity Restriction in Article XVI, Section 11(1) of the Constitution which states, “The ownership and management of mass media shall be limited to citizens of the Philippines, or to corporations, cooperatives or associations, wholly-owned and managed by such citizens.”
[READ: Gov’t orders Rappler to shut down; Rappler cries ‘harrassment’]
The spokesperson also questioned why people would put the blame on them when SEC is not an ally of the administration.
“Unang-una po, Saligang Batas po ang nalabag. Hindi po kami ang sumulat ng Saligang Batas, ang taong bayang Filipino po ang nagbigay ng bisa diyan sa Saligang Batas. At hindi rin po ang presidente ang nagsabi na ang Rappler ay lumabag diyan [First of all, (Rappler) violated the constitution. We are not the author of the constitution, it was ratified by the Filipino citizens. It was not the President who said that Rappler violated it],”he said.
The President, in his several speeches, has been calling out Rappler for its alleged biased reports against the administration. Duterte earlier accused the news organization of being owned by a foreign businessman.
Roque, however, said that the President likewise has the right to speak against Rappler.
“Patas lamang po ‘yan. Binabanatan ng Rappler ang presidente, bakit hindi pupuwedeng bumanat din sa kanila ang Presidente? Wala na bang karapatan sa malayang pananalita ang presidente? [It’s only fair. The Rappler has been attacking the President, why can’t the President criticize them? Doesn’t the President have the right to free speech?]” Roque said.