Philippines: CFWIJ Congratulates Renowned Journalist Maria Ressa On Her Win Against The Philippine Government
Location: Philippines, Manila
Date: January 18, 2023
Rappler CEO and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa wins against the Philippine judicial system. The verdict of acquittal is a clear message that journalism are under constant scrutiny. The Coalition For Women In Journalism applauds the ruling of the court. We congratulate Maria Ressa and her team who remain devoted, courageous defenders of free speech and right to information.
On January 18, Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa and her news outlet Rappler were acquitted by the Philippine Court of Tax Appeals. The ruling puts an end to the legal action launched against them by the Philippine government in 2018. The acquittal marks a win not only for independent journalism, but for democracy as well.
In 2018, agencies on behalf of the Philippine government lodged a libel case against Maria Ressa and Rappler. Ressa, a critic of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his violent drug war was convicted on June 15, 2020, while Rappler as a company was found not guilty. The award winning journalist filed a motion for reconsideration in 2020. The motion was denied by the Philippine Court of Appeals on October 11, 2022.
“The ongoing campaign of harassment and intimidation against me and Rappler continues, and the Philippines legal system is not doing enough to stop it. I am disappointed by today’s ruling but sadly not surprised. This is a reminder of the importance of independent journalism holding power to account.” Rappler CEO Maria Ressa says on the Court of Appeals’ ruling.
The fight continues to appeal the ruling next to the Supreme Court, which has previously indicated that the criminalisation of libel is constitutionally doubtful. Ressa is facing a restless crusade to bring justice to light and uphold the fundamental principle that expression through various media outlets should be exercised freely.
Her contribution to journalism has been of immense impact. The lawsuit against Ressa has manifested further tyranny on free press as well as emphasized the Big Tech information crisis.The latter has since been a focus point for Maria Ressa who along with Dmitry Muratov have designed a 10-point plan to address it. The two were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021.
“When facts become optional and trust disappears, we will no longer be able to hold power to account,” say the laureates.
The prominent journalist and Rappler have been enduring state-backed legal harassment for over 6 years due to their stance against the bloody drug war carried out by Duterte. The charges were seen as an attempt to silence Maria Ressa and the Manila-based media outlet Rappler. If convicted, Ressa would have faced up to 100 years of incarceration. The Coalition For Women in Journalism is thrilled by the court's ruling to acquit Maria Ressa. Justice and democracy have prevailed.
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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