President Rodrigo Duterte has not given up on his war against the media, even in the final breaths of his presidency.
In a series of assaults executed by his alter egos, Mr. Duterte has demonstrated his animosity against the independent media that peppered him with valid criticisms of his policies and way of governance.
And, in a speech, the president admitted using the strength of his power and influence to clamp down a broadcast network already embedded in the Filipino culture.
Earlier this month, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon requested that the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) block websites affiliated with communist rebels. The list, however, included news websites Pinoy Weekly and Bulatlat, which have covered violations of human rights grossly committed under this administration.
NTC heeded and ordered telcos to block these sites’ IP addresses. Mr. Esperon was defiant that they were fronts of the CPP-NPA-NDF, which the government heavily fought throughout six years, to the extent that opposition groups were thrusted at the center of the anti-communist war.
“We see this attack as an attempt not just to silence our publication but also the voice of the marginalized Filipinos that are reflected in our stories,” Neil Ambion, managing editor of Pinoy Weekly, told the Inquirer.
Bulatlat’s managing editor, Len Olea, saw the request as reckless censorship to intimidate them: “This maligning of us was made public, so that somehow caused some level of anxiety on us […] We were shocked [with the order]. We didn’t realize that they could be this brazen. They can really do this with disregard to the law. This is really a new form of censorship.”
Mr. Duterte has implanted an unlikely legacy for the information ecosystem. Legacy media has been scarred due to years of delegitimization efforts. Violence against media workers increased. And vloggers are set to become the faces of new media, thanks to livestreams, out-of-context YouTube videos and hyperpartisan analyses on the issues of the day.
Then, speaking in front of Davao city lawmakers on Jun. 27, Mr. Duterte flaunted his role in shutting down ABS-CBN: “I used the presidential powers to tell Congress that you are dealing with scoundrels and if you continue to kowtow with them, kawawa ang Pilipino.”
What appeared to be a simple retaliation of a crass and foul-mouthed mayor from the south over unaired commercials in the 2016 campaign has dragged into a confluence of violations that were thrown against the network, mainly unpaid taxes and foreign ownership. And even though government agencies cleared ABS-CBN of any delinquencies, that didn’t stop allied lawmakers from pinning down the Lopez-owned business.
“Kaya tinira ko talaga sila,” Mr. Duterte added.
And, just one day before stepping down from office, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) affirmed its 2018 decision revoking Rappler’s license to operate because of its violation to bar foreign entities from owning media outlets. In the commission’s view, by issuing a Philippine Depository Receipt (PDR) to foreign investor Omidyar, Rappler’s shutdown is now warranted.
A PDR is “a security that grants the holder the right to the delivery or sale of the underlying shares of stock,” according to Atty. Katrine Paula Suyat from San Beda College of Law. But it does not constitute ownership. Owning a PDR became prevalent in the 1990s to raise capital and acquire investment without issuing any shares.
ABS-CBN was also pummeled with the PDR issue, with representatives insisting it constituted ownership. The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) raised this in its quo warranto petition against the network, but the Supreme Court (SC) didn’t resolve it.
Rappler came at the president’s crosshairs for its critical reporting about the war on drugs that claimed the innocent lives of thousands. His supporters vilify the outlet as an opposition propaganda tool. And many of them downplayed the Nobel Peace Prize bestowed to its chief executive officer (CEO), Maria Ressa.
“We have plans A through Z. Our goal is to continue holding the line, we’re not gonna voluntarily give up our rights, and we really shouldn’t. Absolutely we will continue to operate business as usual,” she said this morning, Jun. 29, as the news website she built in 2012 is on the verge of collapse.
But the government isn’t done yet. This morning, it is reported that the NTC has moved to regulate blocktime agreements, interfering with entities’ programming that goes beyond their mandate of assessing technicals.
This comes as ABS-CBN is set to partner with TV5, two years after the former’s shutdown and franchise denial. The memo is another step to hinder ABS-CBN from crawling its way back to its former glory.
“[T] hose who have picked up or read about the NTC memo are convinced that [it] is intended as another nail to keep the coffin of ABS-CBN shut and to stop the migration of talents and content to TV5 via block time,” Cito Beltran, columnist for the Philippine Star, wrote.
“[T]he NTC errs in the assumption that because they are the regulatory body for telecoms and television, they can meddle or interfere in the business or negotiations of private companies. They should first go through the KBP (Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas), the self-regulatory body over the broadcast industry as provided by presidential decree,” he added.
Mr. Duterte has implanted an unlikely legacy for the information ecosystem. Legacy media has been scarred due to years of delegitimization efforts. Violence against media workers increased. And vloggers are set to become the faces of new media, thanks to livestreams, out-of-context YouTube videos and hyperpartisan analyses on the issues of the day.
The press won’t get a fairer treatment in the incoming administration, who would likely welcome further media assaults that could weaken the fourth estate, if that means more opportunities for friendlier media and digital pundits and propagandists.
Mr. Duterte, one of press freedom predators, punched the press with an iron fist. They spewed blood and suffered in anguish. And with that, he has made Mr. Marcos Jr.’s life much easier.
Even when it seemed that he was powerless, the 16th president demonstrated his ruthlessness in tormenting, what he unfairly viewed, the enemies.
Featured image from Rappler.
The Edj View 