MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine president has banned a reporter from entering the presidential palace compound to attend news briefings because her online news organization's license to operate was revoked by the government's corporate watchdog.
President Rodrigo Duterte invoked Thursday the Securities and Exchange Commission ruling in banning Rappler reporter Pia Ranada from the Malacanang palace complex, where he, his spokesman and other top officials hold news briefings.
The commission has ruled that Rappler violated a constitutional prohibition on foreign ownership of news media.
Rappler, known for its critical reporting of Duterte's presidency, and media watchdogs called the move an attempt to muzzle the press. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. argued that it was not, saying she can report by watching news conferences on television.
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