Rappler describes the decision to lift the shutdown order as “redress after eight agonizing years of harassment.”
A Philippine court has ordered the country’s corporate regulator to restore the license of Rappler, the news site co-founded by Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa, a prominent critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Ressa and Rappler fought in numerous court cases pending during Duterte’s term in office.
The appeals court, in a decision dated July 23 but not made available to the media until Friday, overturned an earlier decision by the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ordering the closure of Rappler.
The SEC revoked Rappler’s operating license in 2018 for violating foreign ownership restrictions on domestic media when it sold custody rights to a foreign company. The decision was upheld in 2022, days before Duterte left office.
The appeals court found that the SEC “grossly abused its discretion” in rescinding Rappler’s certificate of incorporation.
The news site welcomed the decision, noting that “this latest in a series of court victories for Rappler is a much-needed reminder that journalism’s mission can thrive even in the line of fire: to speak truth to power, hold the line, and build a better world.”
Rappler also said in its statement that “it is a relief after eight agonizing years of harassment. The CA clearly rejected the SEC’s 2018 shutdown order, declaring it ‘illegal’ and a ‘serious abuse of discretion.'”
Rappler continued operating while appealing the SEC’s order.
Under the constitution, investments in media are reserved for Filipinos or companies controlled by Filipinos. The case arose from a 2015 investment by the U.S.-based Omidyar Network, founded by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar.
Rappler had previously argued that the Omidyar Network was a silent investor. Omidyar later transferred its investment in Rappler to the site’s local managers to fend off Duterte’s efforts to shut down the site.
Human Rights Watch researcher Carlos Conde said that “justice and common sense have prevailed” and called the court’s decision “long overdue.”
Ressa is currently free on bail after being convicted in 2020 in an online defamation case. She has appealed the verdict to the country’s Supreme Court. She was previously acquitted of five government charges of tax evasion.
She also faces a prison sentence of up to 15 years if convicted in another case related to the Omidyar investment.
