Ms. Ressa is a vocal critic of Mr. Duterte and his bloody "war on drugs" launched in 2016. The journalist and her digital platform have been the subject of numerous lawsuits and online threats.

The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission confirmed in a statement on Wednesday the "revocation of the certificates which permitted the incorporation" of Rappler, for violation of the "constitutional and statutory restrictions on foreign ownership of the media".

This decision "confirms the closure" of the digital platform, according to Rappler, who intends to appeal this "very irregular" procedure.

Defiantly, Ms. Ressa promised that the site would remain operational.

"We are continuing to work, it's business as usual," Ms. Ressa said, adding that "we can only hope for the best" with Mr. Duterte's successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The latter, son of the former Philippine dictator, is to succeed Mr. Duterte on Thursday.

Activists fear a deterioration in the situation of human rights and freedom of expression under the presidency of Marcos Jr.

Rappler has been struggling to survive since Mr. Duterte's government accused him of tax evasion and breaking foreign ownership regulations in order to secure funding.

The site has also been accused of violating a cybercrime law passed in 2012, the year Rappler was founded.

Mr. Duterte took on Rappler by name, calling him a “media peddler of false information” over an article about one of his closest aides.

An employee at the offices of the Rappler news site on June 29, 2022 in Pasig, a suburb of Manila, in the Philippines Maria TAN AFP

Rappler is accused of allowing outsiders to take over its website by issuing "certificates of deposit" through its parent company Rappler Holdings.

Uncertain future

According to the Constitution, media investments are restricted to Filipinos or Filipino-controlled entities.

The accusation is based on an investment in Rappler in 2015 from an American company, Omidyar Network, created by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar.

The offices of the Rappler news site on June 29, 2022 in Pasig, a suburb of Manila, in the Philippines MARIA SALVADOR TAN AFP

Omidyar Network then transferred its investment to local managers of the site to prevent Mr. Duterte from trying to shut it down.

Ms. Ressa, who also has US citizenship, and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October for their efforts to "safeguard freedom of expression".

The former correspondent for the American channel CNN is currently being prosecuted in at least seven cases, one of which she is currently on bail pending her appeal and where she faces up to six years in prison.

Rappler is being sued in eight cases, Ms Ressa said.

Human Rights Watch said the news site is facing "retaliation for its courageous reporting".

The International Center of Journalists (ICFJ) has urged the Philippine government to reverse its order to shut down Rappler.

"This legal harassment not only costs Rappler time, money and energy. It enables relentless and prolific online violence designed to discourage independent reporting," the ICFJ tweeted.

The future of Rappler and his fight in the country's highly politicized legal system is uncertain.

The president-elect gave few clues about his views on the website and the broader issue of freedom of expression.

He has largely avoided media interviews and press conferences, preferring to communicate through his press officer and social media.

Douglas Emhoff, husband of Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States, will represent the United States at the inauguration of Marcos Jr.

Declining to comment on the Rappler case, he told reporters in Manila that the US administration was "deeply committed to free speech, freedom of expression and human rights."

© 2022 AFP