Tapos Na ang Shutdown Fight: SC Formally Closes Rappler’s SEC Case

The Supreme Court has formally closed the long-running case tied to the Securities and Exchange Commission order that sought to shut Rappler down in 2018. In the resolution cited by Rappler, the SC’s Third Division declared the case closed and terminated after the Office of the Solicitor General withdrew a move connected to a further legal challenge.

That development effectively ends one of the biggest legal battles faced by the digital news company. The case had already shifted in Rappler’s favor after the Court of Appeals voided the SEC shutdown order in 2024, then affirmed that ruling in 2025 while holding that Rappler remained Filipino-owned.

At the center of the older dispute were Philippine Depositary Receipts issued to foreign investor Omidyar. Rappler had argued that the issue became moot after the PDRs were donated to its Filipino managers, and the appellate court later agreed that the SEC should have properly considered that change.

International lawyer Amal Clooney, who represents Rappler CEO and Nobel laureate Maria Ressa, called the outcome an important victory for Ressa and for journalists in the Philippines. Another counsel for Ressa, Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, said the resolution should mark a turning point not only for Rappler but also for press freedom and the rule of law.

Only one major case from the long list filed against Rappler and its officials remains pending, according to the article: the cyber libel appeal involving Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr. So while may natitira pang legal fight, this specific shutdown case is now officially over.

Source: https://www.rappler.com/philippines/supreme-court-resolution-wins-shutdown-order/