Human rights experts call on to stop the shut down of Rappler
In three special rapporteurs, multiple United Nations (UN) human rights experts called on the Philippine government to stop the shutdown of popular and notorious online media platform, Rappler.
In the rapporteurs that was released by the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, it said that the experts were “gravely concerned” over the issue of the government revoking their access.
"We are gravely concerned that the government is moving to revoke Rappler's licence," the three special rapporteurs said in a joint statement, snippets of which were released by the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner on Friday.
"As a matter of human rights law, there is no basis to block it from operating," the experts added.
They even said that there is no basis by which the command to block Rappler should be followed.
In addition, the UN experts say that the Security and Exchange Commissions is currently “at odds” with the government’s petty cash for jeepney fare.
"We are especially concerned that this move against Rappler comes at a time of rising rhetoric against independent voices in the country," the UN experts said.
"We urge the Government to return to its path of protection and promotion of independent media, especially those covering issues in the public interest," they added.
The experts are composed of Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Michel Forst and Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression David Kaye.
President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly lashed out at the UN, particularly Callamard, for comments against his bloody war on drugs.
Even in other places all throughout the world, the issue of the cancellation of Rappler’s license to operate has spread. Even internationally, the issue of which was been known.
In a letter to the editor, Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel "Babe" Romualdez denied any political motive behind ordering Rappler's closure.
"The commission's decision is about upholding the law. It has no bearing on the state of press freedom in the Philippines, where thousands of broadcast stations and newspapers continue to operate unhampered," Romualdez said.
The palace has already denied its contribution to the decision of the SEC.
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