Roque: Rappler reporter lost trust of president

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Wednesday confirmed that President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the ban against Rappler's Palace reporter. 

 

Roque claimed that Pia Ranada, who has been covering Duterte since 2015, already lost the trust of the president. However, he clarified that the reporter is still allowed to write about the government despite the ban.

 

“Bagamat hindi na siya pupuwedeng mag-cover sa Malacañang, puwede siyang magsulat kahit ano’ng gusto niyang isulat, kahit puro fake news ‘yan, ituloy niya ‘yan. Kung kaligayahan niya ‘yan ituloy niya ‘yan. Kaya nga walang pagsusupil sa pamamahayag,” Roque said over a radio intertview with dzMM.

 

“Ang hindi lang pupwede ay magkaroon siya ng access sa presidente dahil bwisit sa kanya ang president,” he added. 

 

Roque said Ranada and her news media organization would be banned in the Palace until the Court of Appeals resolves their plea. The Securities and Exchange Commission last month ruled to revoke Rappler’s certificate of incorporation saying that it is foreign-controlled.

 

The presidential spokesperson said Duterte was asked to ban Rappler and Ranada after the SEC ruling but he claimed the president permitted the reporter to keep on covering.

 

Roque added that if the decision on the revocation of its business license is sustained, Rappler could transfer to the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, the media group of foreign reporters. He added that the online news outfit could also cover the president as a registered blogger, with permission from Communication Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson.

 

“Bagamat  ang posisyon talaga ng legal ay wala nang dahilan na para siya’y maging  accredited dahil hanggang walang TRO (temporary restraining order) ang CA ay talagang wala nang personalidad ang Rappler at siya ay dapat nandoon na sa FOCAP,” Roque said.

 

The ban on Rappler was implemented despite Roque’s clarification last Tuesday that Ranada is allowed to cover his briefings because the appellate court’s ruling on the online news outfit’s appeal is still pending.

 

Roque explained that Duterte might have lost his trust on Ranada because she was supposedly writing fake news regarding Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go’s involvement in the controversial

Navy frigate deal.

 

He claimed that Ranada kept on concluding that Go intervened in the frigate deal based on the documents despite Navy officials already clearing the name of the president’s aide.

 

“Malinaw naman ang nangyari kahapon… Sinabi na sa Senado na malinaw na na fake news ‘yun na hindi nanghimasok si SAP Bong Go…pero nakita mo doon sa press conference na nagpipilit pa rin si Pia na according to documents daw e may ganyang conclusion,” the Palace spokesman said.

 

“So tingin ko doon nawalan ng tiwala ang president, malinaw na nga na fake news hindi na nga nanghihingi ng kahit ano wag na lang pagpilitan yung fake news,” he added. 

 

Roque insisted that Ranada is “editorializing” the news and writing an opinion piece about the issue. He added that journalists should value their relationship with sources.

 

“Iyan ang nangyayari kapag nawalan ng tiwala ang new source,” he said.

 

According to the head of Malacañang's Internal House Affairs Office, Jhopee Avanceña, Rappler chief Maria Ressa is also prohibited from covering the Malacañang.

 

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said it is not surprised with the president’s move but criticized Duterte's “extreme pettiness.”

 

“But when the highest official in the land chooses to wage a personal vendetta against an individual, whether a journalist or a media outfit, it sends a clear and chilling signal that everyone else better report only what he wants you to or else. This, to say the least, is anathema to democracy. But then again, hasn’t he openly bragged about being — or wanting to be — a dictator?" NUJP said.