Duterte says he has nothing to do with SEC decision vs. Rappler — spokesman

President Rodrigo Duterte has nothing to do with the Securities and Exchange Commission's decision to revoke the certificate of registration of Rappler Inc. and Rappler Holdings Corp., Malacañang said Tuesday.

At a briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte was not even aware of the SEC decision, based on their conversation Monday night. 

Roque said if Duterte wanted to shut down media entities, he could have sent the Armed Forces of the Philippines just like what the other administrations did. But the President did not, Roque added. 

"The President found it unfair for Maria Ressa to claim a violation of the freedom of the press when according to him, Rappler has been very active criticizing individuals for violating the Constitution and the laws of the land and it turns out it is by itself violating the Constitution," he said.

"Before you criticize others, look into the mirror. Look at yourself first," he added.

Ressa is the CEO of Rappler.

Roque said Duterte did not like what Rappler said that the SEC decision was a result of the President's dislike for the online news outfit.

"Of course not! He had nothing to do with the decision. He was not even aware that there was this decision coming up," he said. 

When it was pointed out that the Rappler decision was prompted by the Office of the Solicitor General's letter to SEC, Roque said it was stated in the decision that the regulator had started its probe even before the OSG's letter.

According to the SEC, Rappler violated the Foreign Equity Restriction of the Philippine Constitution, which states that "(t)he 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."

"No one is exempt from complying with the Constitution and the laws of the land. Even Rappler, even the media must comply with it," Roque said. 

He added that other online news sites like Vera Files and MindaNews do not have Philippine Depositary Receipts with foreign entities.

SEC chair can't be influenced

Roque pointed out that SEC chair Teresita Herbosa and all the commissioners except for one are appointees of former President Benigno Aquino III. Duterte has only one appointee at the SEC.

Blaming Duterte on what happened to Rappler is also a "great disservice" to Herbosa, Roque added.

"If you respect Maria Ressa in the journalism profession, Chair Herbosa enjoys the same kind of respect amongst lawyers. That's really something that lawyers will find difficult to accept that Chair Herbosa is a person who can be influenced to making a decision that is contrary to law. Chair Hebosa is simply not capable of that," he said.

"It is unfair to her [Herbosa] to think that she is acting merely as a lackey of the President. She will never do that," he added. — RSJ, GMA News