THE Philippine Supreme Court has directed both the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and Rappler Philippines, to answer within the non-extendable period of 10 days the petition filed last March 7, 2022 by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) calling for the scrapping of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) the two sides inked on February 24, 2022, in relation to the coming May 9, 2022, local and national elections.
“I would just like to announce that in the case of Republic of the Philippines represented by the OSG vs. Comelec and Rappler (GR No. 258926), the Court En Banc during its deliberations today (March 15, 2022) ordered the respondents to file their respective comments on the petition and application for a TRO within a non-extendable period of 10 days from receipt of the order. Respondents to file their comments via personal service to the Court.
“Thank you,” reads the brief message to the media of SC public information chief, Atty. Brian Hosaka.
Based on the OSG petition, ordered to file their comments are COMELEC commissioner Socorro Inting, the acting poll body chair at the time the MOA with Rappler was signed and, Maria Ressa, Rappler chief executive officer.
The OSG, acting as the ‘Tribune of the People,’ was forced to file the petition after the COMELEC disregarded its earlier warning not to proceed with the MOA with Rappler on the ground that it is a foreign-funded and foreign controlled media entity, which is a violation of the provision of the Philippine Constitution.
For its part, the National Press Club (NPC), which was the first group to oppose the COMELEC-Rappler MOA, added that aside from its questionable ownership, Rappler is also the least trusted and among the most biased among media groups in the country.
As such, it cannot be expected to help the COMELEC ensure that the coming elections would be credible and transparent, among others.
The NPC is set to file its own petition against the MOA in the coming days.
With the order, the SC has deferred for the time being the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the MOA’s implementation that is also being sought by the OSG, pending receipt of the respondents’ reply.