Online news site Rappler should have taken legal action against the government if it truly believes that barring its Palace beat reporters from covering President Rodrigo Duterte’s activities is unconstitutional, the Palace said on Friday.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo made the comment after Rappler’s chief executive officer Maria Ressa supposedly said in an interview that the Palace’s ban on the Rappler reporter Pia Rañada was violative of the Constitution.
“By the way, Ressa, I saw her interview this morning, she was complaining about Pia Rañada being barred here and she says that it’s unconstitutional. First, we said that coming here in the Palace is a privilege. And there are, certainly, rules that should be followed by members of the Malacañang Press Corps,” said Panelo in a press briefing Friday.
According to the Palace official, even if Rañada was disallowed from entering the Palace grounds to cover presidential engagements, the Palace still entertains questions from her regardless of the legal situation of her media outfit.
“The fact is, you just saw, she can still ask questions and we’re still responding. She can still cover; nothing has changed except her physical presence,” he said.
“And on the matter of the theory of Ressa that it is unconstitutional, if that is true, I’m wondering why she has not challenged this stand by the Palace before the courts since the incident involving a Rappler reporter has occurred several months ago,” Panelo added.
Rañada, however, took to Twitter to answer Panelo’s remarks, saying that “physical presence is critical to [having] full media [coverage.]”
“Panelo asking why Rappler has not filed legal case vs ban from presidential coverage. Is he aware we are battling seven other legal cases?” she said.
Earlier this year, Rañada was barred from covering Duterte and his activities after the President zeroed in on Rappler’s incorporation papers, citing a revocation from the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Almost two weeks ago, Ressa, president of Rappler Holdings Corporation, evaded arrest as she posted bail at a Pasig City Regional Trial Court after being charged with tax evasion.