Halata bias! Rappler doesn’t trust gov’t documents disproving intel report on Wilfredo Keng

Rappler didn’t publish a clarificatory article clearing businessman Wilfredo Keng of involvement in drug smuggling because it didn’t trust the certification issued in his favor by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

A Manila court recently convicted Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos of cyber libel over a 2012 article accusing Keng of involvement in drug smuggling and drug trafficking.

In a 37-page decision, Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46 judge Rainelda Montesal said there was malice in Rappler’s failure to post a clarificatory article despite Keng’s repeated attempts to clear his name.

During the trial, Keng’s camp said his lawyer sent Rappler a PDEA certification stating that the businessman had no derogatory record. The document was received by Rappler editor at large Marites Vitug.

However, despite assigning a reporter to write a story on Keng’s side, the article wasn’t published on Rappler’s website. Editor Chay Hofileña claimed they have to verify the PDEA document first.

“She justified their action by stating that they have to countercheck and see whether there is a basis for that certification and just because a document is sent by anyone from the government, it does not mean that they have to take it as truth,” the decision read.

Montesal said both Ressa, as Rappler’s top honcho, and Santos, as co-author of the article, were aware of the “probable falsity” of the 2012 article on Keng because the inaccuracies were pointed out by his lawyer.

“Despite such awareness, however, both accused did not bother to publish the clarificatory article and they just let the libelous article remain in their website. A news organization who claims to adhere to accuracy, fairness and balance in terms of reporting, would have retracted, or at the very least, issued a clarificatory article if there have been some indications of falsity to its previous article. Both accused, however, did not,” the judge said.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)