Gutierrez: We are not swayed by emotion or going along with general sentiment

By Paulo Loreto Lim

After the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revoked Rappler’s certificate of incorporation on allegations of violations to constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership of mass media, Negros Press Club President Renato ‘Aksyon Boy’ Duran earlier characterized the SEC’s actions as a “smack against press freedom and freedom of expression.”

However, the National Press Club, which the local organization is not associated, released a statement affirming Rappler violated the law, with National Press Club President Paul Gutierrez noting in a lengthy Facebook post, “‘Responsible journalism’ means complying with the law.”

“We cannot be swayed by the emotion of the moment and go along with the general sentiment that press freedom has been threatened less we be accused of inconsistency,” he went on to say. “In the broader Philippine media industry, Rappler is just one among the thousands of media entities in the country and whose operations have remained free.”

Meanwhile, Department of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II called on the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe possible criminal offenses committed by Rappler executives.

“It will not be limited to administrative law,” Aguirre stated. “We are going to see if there are other laws violated.”/PLL, WDJ