The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) on Monday filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking to nullify the fact-checking deal between the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Rappler for the upcoming national polls.
In a statement, Solicitor General Jose Calida reiterated their earlier claims that Rappler is a foreign-owned corporation thus making its participation in the Philippine elections thru the MOA was considered foreign interference - a violation of the country's election laws and the Philippine Constitution.
"The endless possibility here is that Rappler may control any election narrative that suits the agenda of Rappler’s foreign owners which will not be for the benefit of the Filipino people," he added.
This claim has been repeatedly denied by Rappler, saying that it was a Filipino-owned entity and is not controlled.
Rappler and the Comelec earlier inked a memorandum of agreement for a series of projects to fight disinformation in the upcoming May 9 national and local elections.
According to Calida, the deal to fact-check election-related posts in social media violates the freedom of speech.
However, in an earlier statement, Rappler said that Calida's claims were "fraught with falsehoods, innuendo, and hallucinations" because Comelec had similar partnerships with other media organizations.
"The MOA signed by Comelec with Rappler is simply about helping the poll body disseminate truthful information to voters and ensure transparent elections. Rappler has been partners with the poll body since the 2013 national and local elections," the news agency stated.
"So Calida hallucinates when he says this is tantamount to Comelec sharing 'power' with Rappler and allowing its civic engagement arm, Move.PH, to 'decide on all questions affecting elections.' This claim reads like the column and social posts of the lobbyists of a presidential bet," it added.
