Washington Post: 'Autocrat' Duterte's fake news label on Rappler attack on press

MANILA, Philippines — Another American newspaper eviscerated into President Rodrigo Duterte following his description of news website Rappler as a "fake news outlet" after it reported on a supposed anomaly in the Navy frigate contract.

According to the Washington Post, Duterte's attack and the decision of the Securities and Exchange Commission to revoke Rappler's corporate registration, which essentially could shutdown the outlet, were an "unwarranted strike at press freedom" which should alarm everyone about the "contagion of illiberalism."

"Look no further than Manila this week for evidence that autocrats around the world are reading the same handbook — and learning new tricks from it," the Post said in its editorial.

"This [Duterte's action and SEC's decision] is an unwarranted strike at press freedom that should alarm everyone worried about the contagion of illiberalism," the newspaper added.

READ: Aguirre asks NBI to probe Rappler

On Tuesday, Duterte slammed Rappler after it implicated his aide, Christopher "Bong" Go, in the Philippine Navy's multibillion contract to acquire two frigates from a South Korean firm.

The president defended Go and challenged Rappler to present convincing proof of Go's complicity.

The Post said that what's worrying with Duterte's attack on the press was not only his use of government to close down critical news agencies but also his use of "delegitimization" which was behind the use of the moniker "fake news."

"This is a twisted way to undermine confidence and trust in the news itself, a tactic now being widely exploited by rulers who do not want to be bound by the norms of democracy and rule of law," the Post said.

According to the Post, autocrats around the world are using means to undermine and discredit media outlets because they would not like to be bound by "norms of democracy and rule of law."

In China and Russia, it said, authorities have placed ownership of the press in the hands of friendly oligarchs and businessmen and given orders to newsrooms on what they can report and what they can't.

If confronted with the truth, these dictators, "shout 'fake news so often that people grow weary and confused about what is true and what is not. Trust is destroyed, and the autocrats proceed unharnessed and unashamed," according to the Post.

"In the Philippines, the attack on Rappler should be rescinded. A free press cannot be allowed to be smothered by the fog of an authoritarian leader shouting 'fake news,'" the paper said.

The Post's editorial came just two days after The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal issued scathing criticisms of the SEC shutdown order.

According to the Times, Rappler's shutdown order was just the "tip" of Duterte's assault on his media critics and pointed to the deluge of fake news, conspiracy theories and online harassment in the Philippines.

WSJ meanwhile described the decision as just the latest in a series of actions by Duterte that undermined democracy in the Philippines and accused the president of using techniques straight out of the playbook of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

"The misuse of government power to silence media critics and punish political foes is straight out of the Marcos playbook," WSJ said.

Aside from American newspapers, media groups and rights watchdogs have denounced the order and accused Duterte of undermining critical press in the country.