In a statement, the NPC agreed with the findings of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that online news platform Rappler, Inc. violated the strict constitutional provision on 100-percent control and ownership of mass media. “As the country’s oldest and biggest organization of active media practitioners, the NPC is conscious that making a statement on this issue demands that it first study the SEC decision,” Gutierrez said. ‘Dubious legal personality’Gutierrez said: “Responsible journalism also means complying with the law.”The club’s position, he said was consistent with its policy of not accepting as members, journalists and media entities of dubious legal personality. PrematureIt was premature to say that freedom of the press has been curtailed as a result of the SEC findings against Rappler, Gutierrez said. “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,” he said.

Source: Manila Times January 17, 2018 16:30 UTC