The editorial board of American newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, released an article tackling about the revocation of Rappler’s license to operate in the Philippines.
‘The Threat to Philippine Democracy’ stated how President Rodrigo Duterte purportedly undermines the country’s democracy with his actions, including silencing several media outfits.
The Journal cited how Pres. Duterte “accused Rappler of being funded by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and threatened it with closure” last year.
Pres. Duterte also allegedly threatened to cancel the license of ABS-CBN and the Philippine Daily Inquirer because of how they report the alleged extrajudicial killings in the country.
The New York-based newspaper also expressed that the martial law implemented by Pres. Duterte in Southern Philippines has not changed anything.
It also claims that despite being ineffective, many Filipinos are satisfied with the President’s tough response.
The Wall Street Journal also stated how Pres. Duterte’s actions to ‘silence media critics and punish political foes’ reflects his admiration to the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
The newspaper ended its article stating that “Filipinos may want stronger government, but they must beware that they don’t lose their democracy in the process.”
Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-threat-to-philippine-democracy-1516145866
