Victory for Free Speech: Rappler's License Restored in Landmark Court Ruling

Philippine Nobel laureate Maria Ressa's news website, Rappler, won its appeal to restore its corporate licence after the Philippine Court of Appeals overturned the SEC's 2018 decision to shut it down. The ruling marks a significant victory for free speech in the country, underscoring the judicial system's check on regulatory overreach.

Philippine Nobel laureate Maria Ressa's news website, Rappler, has triumphed in its appeal to restore its corporate licence. In a decision dated July 23 but made public on Friday, the Court of Appeals overturned the 2018 shutdown order issued by the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), ruling that the regulator had overstepped its authority.

According to the court's ruling, the SEC had unjustly pursued the closure of Rappler. "Like a bull seeing red, the SEC... plowed through law and jurisprudence to reach its mark – the death of Rappler," the court document stated. The SEC has so far refrained from commenting, indicating that it has yet to receive the decision's copy.

The SEC had originally rescinded Rappler’s operating licence for violating foreign equity restrictions in 2018 when the media company sold depositary rights to a U.S.-based entity. Despite this, Rappler continued its operations pending the appeal process. In response to the recent court decision, Ressa called it a "vindication after a tortuous eight years of harassment." She emphasized the importance of journalism in her statement, declaring, "Journalists are not the enemy."

(With inputs from agencies.)