Wall Street Journal: Duterte's move to silence media, critics undermines democracy

The editorial board of the Wall Street Journal described the revocation of Rappler's operating license as the Duterte administration's "latest" move to undermine democracy in the Philippines. 

In an article titled "The Threat to Philippine Democracy" published Tuesday, the US-based broadsheet listed a supposed series of government moves made by President Rodrigo Duterte to "silence" media and his political critics.

The most recent, being the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) decision to revoke Rappler's certificate of incorporation for supposedly violating the foreign ownership restrictions on mass media companies. 

Critics hit the move as "harassment" against independent media, Duterte denied having anything to do with the ruling.

However, the Journal recalled in their article that Duterte earlier accused Rappler of being funded by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and "threatened it with closure."

Noting Rappler's coverage of Duterte's war on drugs, the newspaper said the online news agency was "being singled out" by the administration.

"Other media organizations use the same structure; only Rappler is being singled out for punishment," WSJ said.

The editorial then cited Duterte's statement directed at television network ABS-CBN, threatening to cancel it.

The Journal also mentioned the Philippine Daily Inquirer being passed onto Ramon Ang, who they described as a "pro-government tycoon."

This was after Duterte launched a tirade against the owners of the Inquirer, the Prieto family, and threatened to take back the land the paper leased from the government.

They added that "cruder" methods were bring used on the president's elected critics such as Senator Leila de Lima and recalled a failed attempt to impeach Vice President Leni Robredo last year.

The Journal said Duterte had moved on to using public satisfaction with the drug war and martial law extension to supposedly amend the constitution and create a federal system of government.

"The danger is that Mr. Duterte and his allies will insert provisions in the new constitution to benefit themselves and pave the way for authoritarian rule," they wrote.

Finally, the editorial likened these moves to that of former president and late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

"Mr. Duterte’s praise for late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and alliance with the Marcos family are clues to his intent. The misuse of government power to silence media critics and punish political foes is straight out of the Marcos playbook," the article said

"Filipinos may want stronger government, but they must beware that they don’t lose their democracy in the process," it finished. — BAP, GMA News