Philippine news website Rappler loses court appeal on foreign media ownership violation
- The Court of Appeals said Rappler breached a constitutional ban on foreign ownership by allowing a US-based investor “to participate” in its operations
A Philippine court has upheld a decision that a news site critical of President Rodrigo Duterte violated a constitutional ban on foreign ownership of news media.
In a decision made public on Monday, the Court of Appeals said that Rappler effectively allowed US-based investor Omidyar Network “to participate” in its corporate actions and decisions in violation of the constitution, which requires media companies to be fully owned and managed by Filipinos.
Rappler argued it did not grant Omidyar the power to control or influence its news operations, but last year, the appeal court backed a Securities and Exchange Commission decision to revoke the site’s license.
Media watchdogs have said the move was an act to muzzle the media.
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While upholding its ruling against Rappler, the appeal court asked the SEC to reassess its revocation of the news website’s operating license after Omidyar donated its holdings in Rappler to some of the site’s managers and staff.