MALACAÑANG respects the United States’ policy prohibiting the entry of foreign officials who threaten independent journalists, says a top Palace official.
In a statement, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the Philippines recognizes the sovereignty and independence of the U.S., which recently enacted the 2021 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.
The law states that foreign government officials involved in “threatening, wrongfully imprisoning, or otherwise depriving liberty independent journalists who speak out or publish about official corruption or other abuses” will be prohibited to enter the U.S.
The act specifically named Rappler CEO and award-winning journalist Maria Ressa, whom Duterte repeatedly insulted in his speeches and has been found guilty of a cyber libel case.
Ressa has been charged for the second time with cyber libel by businessman Wilfredo Keng after she had shared a news article linking him to the murder of a former Manila councilor.
Rights groups and press advocates say the libel charges against Ressa, along with a series of tax cases against Rappler, is part of the government’s efforts to stifle dissent.
Rappler is known for its critical reporting of the Duterte administration, particularly the internationally-condemned bloody war on drugs.
“We recognize the democratic process of a sovereign state, such as the United States,’” Roque said in response to the U.S. policy.
“Each must learn to respect each other’s domestic policies and intrusion to another nation’s sovereignty must be frowned upon,” he added, noting that it is a basic principle of international law based on the United Nations Charter.
The Palace official likewise noted that the Philippines has its own “independent institutions and domestic laws that must be enforced and applied to all.”
The recently-enacted U.S. law also cited independent news website El Faro in El Salvador.
While freedom of the press is guaranteed under the Philippine Constitution, the country is one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists, according to U.S.-based Freedom House. Duterte’s critics say the media has been subject to pressure and harassment since he came to power.
Apart from Rappler, broadcast giant ABS-CBN and broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer were also attacked by the President and his allies over their critical reporting of the administration.
ABS-CBN went off air last July after Congress rejected the network’s franchise bid. During the congressional hearings, Duterte’s allies hurled accusations of biased reporting and aired out personal grievances against the network.