Court denies Esperon, NTC appeal vs Bulatlat

MANILA, Philippines — A Quezon City court has denied the appeal of the National Telecommunications Commission and former national security adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. to overturn its earlier ruling ordering the NTC to stop blocking the website of alternative news organization bulatlat.com.

Judge Dolly Rose Bolante-Prado of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 306 said she sees no compelling ground to reverse the ruling issued last August.

The court said Alipato Media Center Inc., which owns the online news outfit, was able to establish all the requisites for the issuance of a preliminary injunction.

“It is undisputed that the plaintiff, being the owner of bulatlat.com, has the right to freedom of speech and of the press,” Bolante-Prado said in a six-page resolution dated Oct. 10.

The judge said these rights were violated when its website, among others, was ordered blocked by the NTC through a memorandum it issued on June 8.

As to Esperon’s contention that there was no proof that the alleged blocking of the news website was due to the NTC’s memorandum, the “same fails to convince the court.”

“Wherefore, premises considered, the motions for reconsideration filed by the NTC and Esperon are hereby denied,” the ruling read.

The court said the writ of preliminary injunction remains effective until a final adjudication of the merits of the case has been made.