Quezon City court denies Bulatlat bid to unblock website

MANILA, Philippines — A Quezon City court dismissed yesterday the petition of news outfit Bulatlat to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the directive of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) blocking its website and that of other independent media organizations.

Judge Dolly Rose Bolante-Prado of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 306 denied the request of Alipato Media Inc., which owns bulatlat.com, as the website remains accessible.

“The court itself managed to gain access to the plaintiff’s website. The court noted that the petitioner was able to publish news and its commentaries on recent issues of public interest,” the ruling read.

The judge said the “requisites for the issuance of a TRO are not present in the case at bar.”

The court set the hearing on the merits of the case on Aug. 2.

The National Union of People’s Lawyers, which represents Bulatlat, has asked the court to nullify the NTC’s memorandum blocking the websites of cause-oriented groups and other alternative news organizations.

Also named respondent was former national security adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., whose recommendation was the basis of the NTC’s order.