Malacañang says Rappler ‘failed to meet’ accreditation to cover Duterte

Online news site Rappler was disallowed from physically covering President Rodrigo Duterte as it failed to meet the accreditation required, Malacañang has told the Supreme Court (SC).

Rappler earlier asked the SC to nullify the coverage ban against its reporters and was supported by at least 41 journalists and columnists who argued that the prohibition was “arbitrary” and based merely on the President’s “personal displeasure.”

In a comment filed on Wednesday, the Office of the President claimed that Rappler failed to present any “genuine” issue concerning press freedom.

The International Press Center (IPC) denied the application of Rappler’s Palace reporter, Pia Ranada, to renew her accreditation, which supposedly expired in December 2017, according to the Office of the Solicitor General.

In a separate statement on Thursday, the OSG noted the application was denied following a Securities and Exchange Commission’s decision to revoke Rappler’s certificate of incorporation in January 2018 based on allegations of foreign ownership.

“Consequently, the Media Accreditation and Relations Office (MARO) denied Ranada physical access in all events attended by the President,” the OSG said. The rules of both the IPC and MARO required the accreditation of media entities to cover the Chief Executive.

“Here, Rappler simply failed to meet these accreditation requirements, hence, the non-renewal of its (or Ranada’s) accreditation to cover Malacañang,” the OSG said.

Despite the lack of accreditation, Rappler has continued to report on the President, it said.

In a petition filed earlier this year, Ranada and her fellow Rappler reporters said the ban was tantamount to prior restraint, or the government restricting expression—an abridgment of press freedom. They said it created a chilling effect on other news groups and journalists.

The OSG disagreed, claiming that the petition “miserably failed to present any genuine issue on the alleged abridgment of free press.”

“The mere act of the government enforcing its accreditation rules does not, in any way, affect or trample upon petitioners’ constitutional freedom of the press,” the OSG the statement read.

The right “does not certainly include the right to demand a special press pass, special accreditation, or special spot at any news conference or press briefing,” it said.

“The government recognizes the role of free press in our democracy; but our people deserve news reports from legitimate media organizations that comply with rules on accreditation, respect the decisions of tribunals and obey the Constitution and our laws,” it added. —VDS, GMA News