MALACAÑANG on Friday, January 19, said it respects the decision of journalists and press freedom advocates to stage "Black Friday Protests for Press Freedom" following the revocation of news site Rappler's registration.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said the protest actions initiated by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and will start later today "is a testament that freedom is alive and democracy is alive in the Philippines."
"The Palace position on the matter remains clear and consistent: We allow public displays of constructive criticism as part of full exercise of the protesters' right to express their grievances," the presidential spokesman said in a statement.
The NUJP, in a Facebook post on Thursday, January 18, urged the citizens to join the 6 p.m. rally at the Boy Scout Circle in Quezon City as it kicks off the "Black Friday" protests.
It encouraged journalists and press freedom supporters to wear black shirts or armbands on Friday.
The media group also said it will announce upcoming activities that will discuss and map out what needs to be done to defend the country and people from the Duterte administration's "sinister plans."
"Who will be next? The threatened closure of Rappler has proven that Rodrigo Duterte and his minions will stop at nothing to shut down critical voices even as they rush to amend the Constitution to produce an abomination that will not only perpetuate themselves in power but emasculate our rights and liberties," the NUJP said.
"We cannot allow this to happen," it added.
The protest action came after the Securities and Exchange Commission ruled on January 11 to revoke Rappler's certificate of incorporation for alleged violation of the constitutional provision limiting the media entities' ownership to Filipinos.
Rappler had said the SEC's ruling proved the current administration's "pure and simple harassment" against journalists.
But President Rodrigo Duterte, in a speech delivered on Tuesday, January 16, denied a hand in the closure order.
“We never had the hand and I don’t give a s*** if you continue or not continue with your network,” Duterte said in an event held in Pasay City.
Roque guaranteed that authorities would observe "maximum tolerance" during the conduct of protests.
"Authorities, as a matter of standard operating procedure, will observe maximum tolerance and respect the protesters' right to peaceful assembly," he said. (Ruth Abbey Gita/VoxPop Philippines)