SC closes 2018 SEC shutdown case vs Rappler
The Supreme Court of the Philippines has officially closed a Securities and Exchange Commission case that sought to revoke Rappler's certificates of incorporation.
In the resolution dated Jan. 20, 2026, made public on April 2, the SC Third Division declared "this case closed and terminated and the parties informed accordingly."
The end to the case signified the SC's granting the motion of the Office of the Solicitor General to withdraw its request for extension. The OSG's request stemmed from the Court of Appeals decision that nullified the SEC's order to shut down the digital media company. It was a decision the OSG sought for the Highest Court to review.
With this development, Rappler, in its report, called it a win "against one of the biggest cases it faced."
Rappler CEO and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa's legal defense team consisted of international human rights lawyers Amal Clooney and Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC.
Clooney celebrated the decision by expressing her hope that Ressa's other cases would go the same way, per Rappler, adding that the "victory" was important for Ressa and journalists in the Philippines.
"I welcome the position taken by the Solicitor General in this case and the court rulings recognizing the paramount importance of the press in a free society. I hope the courts will resolve the remaining cases against Maria in line with these same values," Clooney wrote in a statement.
"This should be a pivot point for Maria, Rappler, and for press freedom and the rule of law in the Philippines," added Gallagher.
Nearly a decade-long battle
In 2017, the SEC claimed Rappler violated the Constitution's restrictions regarding foreign ownership of media companies. In its argument, the SEC cited Rappler's issuance of Philippine Depository Receipts to the American company Omidyar Network.
A PDR is a financial tool that gives the holder the right to invest in a Philippine company without actually owning shares in it.
In January 2018, the SEC revoked Rappler's certificate of incorporation.
According to Rappler, however, Omidyar then donated the PDRs to the media company's Filipino managers, essentially circumventing the SEC's accusation and prompting the CA to ask the SEC to review its closure order.
The commission stood firm on its shutdown order.
In August 2024, the CA allowed Rappler's challenge against the SEC order and moved to restore the Certificate of Incorporation of Rappler and Rappler Holdings Corporation. The CA's decision noted that Rappler was "accorded preferential treatment—a negative one" by the SEC.
