The United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) has called out the Philippine government for its “moves to shut down independent news site Rappler.”
“We are gravely concerned that the government is moving to revoke Rappler’s license,” three Special Rapporteurs said in a joint statement released yesterday.
The three rapporteurs who issued the statement were:
- David Kaye, special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Agnes Callamard, special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions
- Michel Forst, special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.
According to the OHCHR, they believe Rappler was shut down for its “critical coverage regarding the current administration’s violent ‘war on drugs’ and the spread of disinformation over the internet and social media, allegedly by government officials and their supporters.”
They pointed out, “in turn President Duterte and his leading supporters have strongly criticized Rappler. Some of the criticism has included threats of physical harm to Rappler reporters.”
“Rappler’s work rests on its own freedom to impart information, and more importantly its vast readership to have access to its public interest reporting,” the UN experts said. “As a matter of human rights law, there is no basis to block it from operating. Rappler and other independent outlets need particular protection because of the essential role they play in ensuring robust public debate.”
A Jan. 15 decision of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revoked Rappler’s business registration for allegedly violating laws that require media to be 100 percent Philippine owned.
Their reasoning was that funds coming from Omidyar Network, a fund created by eBay founder and entrepreneur Pierre Omidyar, constituted foreign ownership of the company.
Rappler explained that Omidyar’s investment was made through Philippine Depository Receipts (PDRs), an instrument that allows foreign companies to invest in local media without giving any ownership.
The SEC, however, questioned a provision in the PDR that required Rappler to allegedly seek approval of Omidyar PDR holders on corporate matters.
The SEC said this violated foreign ownership laws so it voided the Omidyar PDRs and revoked Rappler’s Certificate of Incorporation.
Rappler said that this move was too extreme and that they should have been given time to fix the PDRs issues the SEC didn’t agree with.
“We are especially concerned that this move against Rappler comes at a time of rising rhetoric against independent voices in the country,” the UN experts concluded. “We urge the government to return to its path of protection and promotion of independent media, especially those covering issues in the public interest.”
Rappler plans to appeal the SEC decision in court.
