Philippines: Cyber Libel Case Proceeds, Rappler Ceo And Journalist Maria Ressa Released With Bail After Paying P100,000 (Approximately 2000 USD)
Location: Philippines, Manila
Date: February 14, 2019
Following her arrest yesterday over the already disproven “cyber libel” charges, Maria Ressa got released today with bail by Manila RTC Branch 46 after paying P100,000 (Approx. 2000 USD). The court issued the release order after her bail was posted past noon. The Coalition For Women In Journalism strongly condemns The Philippines government’s attempts to stifle dissent and criticism with groundless accusations against journalists.
The cyber libel case against Rappler CEO Maria relates back to a story published on Rappler in 2012 that alleged ties between a Philippine businessman, Wilfredo D Keng, and a high court judge. The case was first brought up in 2017, but was dismissed due to being outside the statute of limitations. The justice department later extended the liability period for such claims from one to twelve years allowing reinitiation of the case. Rappler’s lawyers have been calling attention to the fact that the controversial cyber libel law did not exist at the time of the story’s publication either. The statement on Rappler’s website states that ‘The filing of the case is preposterous and baseless. No less than NBI Cybercrime Division chief Manuel Eduarte closed an investigation in February 2018 after finding no basis to proceed, given that the one-year prescriptive period had lapsed. Eight days later, however, the NBI revived the case, and filed it with the Department of Justice on the basis of a theory they call ‘continuous publication’’. Maria and Rappler also point out that they will not back down. They proceed with the statement with a warning: “This is a dangerous precedent that puts anyone — not just the media — who publishes anything online perennially in danger of being charged with libel. It can be an effective tool of harassment and intimidation to silence critical reporting on the part of the media. No one is safe”. Considering the possible scenarios that could be charged in this context, there is every reason to get alarmed about the status of press freedom in the country. It is also worthy of note that the Philippines has been reported as the most dangerous country in Southeast Asia for journalists by The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). Globally, the island nation came sixth on the list of most murderous countries.
The CEO of Rappler and award winning journalist Maria has a rather long history of going head to head with the government over press freedom. This is not the first time Maria’s news site Rappler is targeted by the government. In total, Rappler and its staff have faced at least 11 government investigations and court cases. These include libel cases, two criminal cases alleging illegal foreign ownership in her companies, and investigations into her old tax returns. The various allegations made against Maria alone could lead to about 100 years in prison. The pattern of pressure and intimidation on the press is rather alarming for the democratic rights and freedoms in the Philippines.
Maria’s news site Rappler has scrutinised the administration of the Philippines’ president Rodrigo Duterte, exposing bot armies and corruption, and documenting his brutal anti-drugs campaign, which has led to tens of thousands of extrajudicial killings by estimations of the UN. As a come-back, Rodrigo accused Rappler of producing ‘fake news’, and his administration instigated several cases against the independent website. In an attempt to cover up the wrongdoings of the government and silence the press, the Duterte administration has systematically been attacking both Rappler and Maria.
Maria Ressa is one of the most prominent journalists in the Philippines and highly regarded worldwide for her work. She spent over two decades working as an investigative reporter, foreign correspondent and served as the bureau chief of CNN in both Manila and Jakarta. She then headed the news division of the Philippines’ biggest TV news channels, ABS-CBN. In 2012, Maria and three fellow female journalists came together to form Rappler with a small team of twelve young reporters and developers. It was the first of its kind in the Philippines, and has quickly grown into the fourth-biggest news website in the country with more than 100 journalists reporting. In its fight against fake news, Rappler also works as a fact-checker for Facebook. The word ‘rappler’ comes from the root words "rap" (to discuss) + "ripple" (to make waves). True to its name, Rappler brings up discussions that make big waves. Exposing abuses of power out into the open, it safeguards the future of democracy. 'In a world of violence, fear, and lies, we demand the truth, set the lines we cannot cross, and stand guard to protect our democracy.’ Maria says on Rappler.
The Coalition for Women in Journalism stands in solidarity with Maria Ressa and Rappler in their honorable fight for truthful reporting in the Philippines. We strongly condemn the shameful charges against them and demand the judiciary to immediately drop the case and release the panel.
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
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