The Quezon City regional trial court (RTC) was asked on Thursday, Aug. 25, to cite for indirect contempt of court the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for allegedly defying the writ of injunction which ordered the commission to lift its order that blocked the website of news organization Bulatlat.
The plea was contained in a petition filed by Alipato Media Center, Inc., operator of Bulatlat, through the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL).
Alipato Media Center told the court that the temporary restraining order (TRO) was issued by the RTC last Aug. 11. The TRO, it said enjoined the NTC from enforcing its June 8, 2022 memorandum that blocked Bulatlat’s website.
It said that on Aug. 15 it posted the P100,000 cash bond required by the court. It also said the court issued the preliminary injunction against the NTC last Aug. 16.
“Despite due service of the writ, the respondent (NTC) defied, and continues to defy, the Writ of Preliminary Injunction, wherein it was enjoined to discontinue the implementation of its Memorandum dated June 8, 2022,” the petition stated.
“The website of plaintiff, bulatlat.com, continues to be blocked and inaccessible to its subscribers using Globe, Converge, PLDT and Smart internet service providers until today,” it said.
“The continued blocking of its website for more than 48 hours after respondent NTC has been officially served with the writ of preliminary injunction is an outright and inexcusable act of defying a lawful order of the Honorable Court,” it added.
It noted that the RTC issued the writ of preliminary injunction while it continues to hear the civil suit Alipato filed last July 8 that sought to void NTC’s June 8 order to block websites, including Bulatlat, that are allegedly affiliated and are supporting the terrorist groups New People’s Army, Communist Party of the Philippines, and the National Democratic Front.