Daily US Times: Celebrated Philippines journalist Maria Ressa was found guilty of “cyber libel” on Monday. The country’s press freedom groups and she herself have described as a politically motivated prosecution by the Duterte government.
A former writer for her news site, Rappler – the news portal she founded in 2011 – was also convicted. Both have been released on bail pending appeal but could face six years in prison.
Rappler has gained prominence for its unflinching coverage of President Rodrigo Duterte and his brutal war on drugs.
The case hinged on a story written in 2012, which alleged that businessman Wilfredo Keng had links to human trafficking and illegal drugs, but the report was published in the portal two years before the new cyber libel laws came into effect in the Philippines.
Prosecutors have argued that a correction made to the story after the law passed constituted a “republication” and meant it was could be considered as “cyber libel.”
According to her news organization, the court on Monday found both Ressa and Rappler staffer Reynaldo Santos Jr., who wrote the story, guilty of the offense.
Both journalist face a minimum of six months in prison and up to 6 years.
After the verdict, Maria Ressa – who has been doing journalism for more than 35 years- said it was “not unexpected.”
She said: “We will keep fighting. I appeal to you, the journalists in the room the Philippines who have been listening — to protect your rights. We are meant to be a cautionary tale. We are meant to make you afraid. So I appeal again. Not be afraid. Because it you don’t use your rights, you will lose them.”
‘Politically motivated’
One of Ressa’s lawyers, JJ Disini, described the charges “politically motivated” and said that any updates made to the offending article in 2014 were “merely a punctuation change.”
Disnis added: “If the libel had been committed way back in 2012, a change in punctuation couldn’t have republished that libel.”
Rappler’s extensive reporting on the Philippines under President Duterte has made the site — and its journalists — targets of his supporters and government.
Ressa has been indicted multiple times on tax evasion and libel charges that critics have described as politically motivated and designed to silence independent media in the country.
Ressa said in July last year in an interview that it’s easier to be on the frontline as a war correspondent than to fight for press freedom, because “you don’t even know where the enemy is here.”
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