A JOURNALIST critical of the government of President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Wednesday pleaded \u201cnot guilty\u201d of tax fraud.
\nMaria Ressa, chief executive of news website Rappler, Inc. was arraigned at a Pasig trial court for one of her five tax-related charges.
\nShe was accused of failing to supply correct information over deficiency value-added tax for the second quarter of 2015 worth almost P300,000.
\nThe charge sheet had been amended to include the company Rappler, Ms. Ressa said in a social media post. Ms. Ressa, a former CNN investigative reporter, also faces three tax evasion charges at the Court of Tax Appeals.
\nShe and former Rappler researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr. were convicted of cyber-libel by a Manila judge last month.
\nThey were sentenced to an indeterminate imprisonment of six months to six years and were ordered to pay P400,000 in moral and exemplary damages to the businessman who sued them. They
\nhave appealed their conviction. \u2014 Vann Marlo M. Villegas
\n", "content_text": "A JOURNALIST critical of the government of President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Wednesday pleaded \u201cnot guilty\u201d of tax fraud.\nMaria Ressa, chief executive of news website Rappler, Inc. was arraigned at a Pasig trial court for one of her five tax-related charges.\nShe was accused of failing to supply correct information over deficiency value-added tax for the second quarter of 2015 worth almost P300,000.\nThe charge sheet had been amended to include the company Rappler, Ms. Ressa said in a social media post. Ms. Ressa, a former CNN investigative reporter, also faces three tax evasion charges at the Court of Tax Appeals.\nShe and former Rappler researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr. were convicted of cyber-libel by a Manila judge last month.\nThey were sentenced to an indeterminate imprisonment of six months to six years and were ordered to pay P400,000 in moral and exemplary damages to the businessman who sued them. They \nhave appealed their conviction. \u2014 Vann Marlo M. Villegas", "date_published": "2020-07-22T19:22:05+08:00", "date_modified": "2020-07-22T19:22:05+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "tags": [ "Featured2", "Maria A. Ressa", "Vann Marlo M. Villegas", "Editors' Picks", "The Nation" ], "summary": "A JOURNALIST critical of the government of President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Wednesday pleaded \u201cnot guilty\u201d of tax fraud.aA JOURNALIST critical of the government of President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Wednesday pleaded \u201cnot guilty\u201d of tax fraud." }, { "id": "/?p=302306", "url": "/editors-picks/2020/06/29/302306/court-asked-to-reverse-cyber-libel-conviction/", "title": "Court asked to reverse cyber-libel conviction", "content_html": "A JOURNALIST critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte has asked a Manila trial court to reverse her conviction for cyberlibel.
\nIn a 132-page motion, Rappler Chief Executive Officer Maria A. Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr. said the court had erred when it held that cyber-libel had a time limit of 12 years within which a suit may be filed.
\n\u201cCyberlibel is not a new offense\u201d but is just a different means to committing libel, they said, citing jurisprudence.
\nThe two were sentenced to an indeterminate imprisonment of six months to six years. Rappler as a company was cleared. They were also ordered to jointly pay businessman Wilfredo D. Keng P400,000 in moral and exemplary damages.
\nThe solicitor general during oral arguments had said the prescriptive period for the crime of libel is one year, according to the pleading.
\nThere was no proof that the article had been republished on the news website in 2014, and there was no evidence that Ms. Ressa and Mr. Santos had participated in the republication, they said.
\n\u201cThere is no allegation that the act was done in collusion with each other or in conspiracy,\u201d they said. \u201cThus, the participation of each of the accused in the supposed republishing must be shown beyond a reasonable doubt. No evidence, let alone evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, has been presented to show this.\u201d
\nThey also argued that the court had \u201cerred in taking adversely the silence\u201d of the two because they had not taken the witness stand.
\n\u201cThe court makes much of the decision not to present both accused-movants Santos Jr. and Ressa as witnesses during the trial,\u201d they said. \u201cThis is surprising because there is no law or rule that compels the accused to take the stand to testify.\u201d
\nMs. Ressa and Mr. Santos also questioned the court\u2019s imposition of imprisonment rather than just fines. \u201cWith due respect, the penalty of imprisonment must be set aside and reconsidered,\u201d they said.
\nThe cyber libel case was filed by Mr. Keng over a Rappler article published on May 29, 2012, months before the Cyber-crime Prevention Act was signed into law in September 2012. The story was updated in February 2014.
\nThe article alleged that Mr. Keng had owned a vehicle used by the late Chief Justice Renato C. Corona \u2014 whom the Senate impeached on corruption charges \u2014 and that he was involved in illegal activities.
\nMr. Keng filed his complaint in October 2017. The Department of Justice indicted them in January 2019.
\nLocal and international media watchdogs and human rights groups have condemned her arrest. New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Mr. Duterte\u2019s government \u201cto cease and desist this campaign of intimidation aimed at silencing Rappler.\u201d
\nGlobal media watchdog Reporters Without Borders earlier said the twin convictions showed the Philippine justice system\u2019s \u201clack of independence from the Executive branch.
\nThe sentence bears the \u201cmalevolent mark\u201d of Mr. Duterte and his desire, by targeting Rappler, to eliminate all criticism whatever the cost, it said.
\nMs. Ressa, a former CNN investigative reporter, earlier said Philippine authorities had managed to \u201ctwerk\u201d the cases against her and Rappler.
\nRappler, which Mr. Duterte has called a \u201cfake news outlet,\u201d is also appealing last year\u2019s order by the Securities and Exchange Commission to close its operations for violating foreign-equity restrictions in mass media. Ms. Ressa is also facing tax evasion cases.
\nThe presidential palace has said Mr. Duterte did not have a hand in the court ruling. \u2014 Vann Marlo M. Villegas
\n", "content_text": "A JOURNALIST critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte has asked a Manila trial court to reverse her conviction for cyberlibel.\nIn a 132-page motion, Rappler Chief Executive Officer Maria A. Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr. said the court had erred when it held that cyber-libel had a time limit of 12 years within which a suit may be filed.\n\u201cCyberlibel is not a new offense\u201d but is just a different means to committing libel, they said, citing jurisprudence.\nThe two were sentenced to an indeterminate imprisonment of six months to six years. Rappler as a company was cleared. They were also ordered to jointly pay businessman Wilfredo D. Keng P400,000 in moral and exemplary damages.\nThe solicitor general during oral arguments had said the prescriptive period for the crime of libel is one year, according to the pleading.\nThere was no proof that the article had been republished on the news website in 2014, and there was no evidence that Ms. Ressa and Mr. Santos had participated in the republication, they said.\n\u201cThere is no allegation that the act was done in collusion with each other or in conspiracy,\u201d they said. \u201cThus, the participation of each of the accused in the supposed republishing must be shown beyond a reasonable doubt. No evidence, let alone evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, has been presented to show this.\u201d\nThey also argued that the court had \u201cerred in taking adversely the silence\u201d of the two because they had not taken the witness stand.\n\u201cThe court makes much of the decision not to present both accused-movants Santos Jr. and Ressa as witnesses during the trial,\u201d they said. \u201cThis is surprising because there is no law or rule that compels the accused to take the stand to testify.\u201d\nMs. Ressa and Mr. Santos also questioned the court\u2019s imposition of imprisonment rather than just fines. \u201cWith due respect, the penalty of imprisonment must be set aside and reconsidered,\u201d they said.\nThe cyber libel case was filed by Mr. Keng over a Rappler article published on May 29, 2012, months before the Cyber-crime Prevention Act was signed into law in September 2012. The story was updated in February 2014.\nThe article alleged that Mr. Keng had owned a vehicle used by the late Chief Justice Renato C. Corona \u2014 whom the Senate impeached on corruption charges \u2014 and that he was involved in illegal activities.\nMr. Keng filed his complaint in October 2017. The Department of Justice indicted them in January 2019.\nLocal and international media watchdogs and human rights groups have condemned her arrest. New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Mr. Duterte\u2019s government \u201cto cease and desist this campaign of intimidation aimed at silencing Rappler.\u201d\nGlobal media watchdog Reporters Without Borders earlier said the twin convictions showed the Philippine justice system\u2019s \u201clack of independence from the Executive branch.\nThe sentence bears the \u201cmalevolent mark\u201d of Mr. Duterte and his desire, by targeting Rappler, to eliminate all criticism whatever the cost, it said.\nMs. Ressa, a former CNN investigative reporter, earlier said Philippine authorities had managed to \u201ctwerk\u201d the cases against her and Rappler.\nRappler, which Mr. Duterte has called a \u201cfake news outlet,\u201d is also appealing last year\u2019s order by the Securities and Exchange Commission to close its operations for violating foreign-equity restrictions in mass media. Ms. Ressa is also facing tax evasion cases.\nThe presidential palace has said Mr. Duterte did not have a hand in the court ruling. \u2014 Vann Marlo M. Villegas", "date_published": "2020-06-29T20:40:42+08:00", "date_modified": "2020-06-29T20:40:42+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "tags": [ "cyber-libel", "Featured2", "Maria A. Ressa", "Vann Marlo M. Villegas", "Editors' Picks", "One News", "The Nation" ], "summary": "A JOURNALIST critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte has asked a Manila trial court to reverse her conviction for cyberlibel." }, { "id": "/?p=300217", "url": "/editors-picks/2020/06/17/300217/us-government-worried-about-guilty-judgment-on-journalists/", "title": "US government worried about guilty judgment on journalists", "content_html": "THE UNITED STATES government has raised concerns about the conviction of a journalist critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte for cyber-libel, saying the case must be resolved in favor of press freedom.
\n“We hope this case is quickly resolved in a way that reinforces our long-shared commitment to freedom of expression, including for members of the press,” US Department of State spokesman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement late Tuesday.
\n“We are concerned by the trial court’s verdict against Maria Ressa and Reynaldo Santos,” US Department of State Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement, late Tuesday evening.
\nA Philippine trial court convicted Maria Ressa, chief executive officer of news website Rappler, Inc. and former researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr. for violating a law against cyber-libel.
\nCritics view the verdict, which could lead to a jail term of up to six years, as a major setback for democratic rights in the country.
\nIn a 37-page decision, Judge Rainelda H. Estacio-Montesa also ordered them to jointly pay the businessman who sued them P400,000 in moral and exemplary damages. Rappler as a company was cleared.
\nGlobal media watchdog Reporters Without Borders on Monday said the twin convictions showed the Philippine justice system’s “lack of independence from the Executive branch.”
\nThe US government’s remarks came after a joint statement from US Senators Edward J. Markey, Patrick Leahy, and Dick Durbin, who renewed their call for the Philippine government to drop all charges against Ms. Ressa, a former CNN investigative reporter and other local journalists.
\nThe Justice department in February last year indicted Ms. Ressa for cyber-libel based on a complaint by a businessman over an article published in 2012, months before the cyber-crime law was passed. The journalist has said the allegations were unfounded.
\nA month later, she got arrested again for allegedly violating the ban on foreign ownership in media.
\nRappler, which Mr. Duterte has called a “fake news outlet,” is also appealing last year’s order by the Securities and Exchange Commission to close its operations for violating foreign-equity restrictions in mass media. Ms. Ressa is also facing tax evasion cases.
\nThe presidential palace has said Mr. Duterte did not have a hand in the court ruling.
\nRappler had reported that Wilfredo Keng was the owner of a vehicle used by the late Chief Justice Renato C. Corona \u2014 whom the Senate impeached on corruption charges \u2014 and that he was involved in illegal activities.
\nOpposition senators have urged the public to speak out against efforts to silence critics, noting that the conviction comes after the government ordered the shutdown of critical media network ABS-CBN Corp.
\nMeanwhile, Senator Ralph G. Recto said the law on cyber-libel has “ambiguities and frightening consequences on our freedom,” adding that Ms. Ressa’s conviction could still be overturned on appeal.
\n“A nation can withstand an occasional reckless press, but it cannot survive with a repressed one,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
\nHuman Rights Watch has called the verdict “a devastating blow to media freedom in the Philippines.” \u2014 Charmaine A. Tadalan
\n", "content_text": "THE UNITED STATES government has raised concerns about the conviction of a journalist critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte for cyber-libel, saying the case must be resolved in favor of press freedom.\n“We hope this case is quickly resolved in a way that reinforces our long-shared commitment to freedom of expression, including for members of the press,” US Department of State spokesman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement late Tuesday.\n“We are concerned by the trial court’s verdict against Maria Ressa and Reynaldo Santos,” US Department of State Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement, late Tuesday evening.\nA Philippine trial court convicted Maria Ressa, chief executive officer of news website Rappler, Inc. and former researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr. for violating a law against cyber-libel.\nCritics view the verdict, which could lead to a jail term of up to six years, as a major setback for democratic rights in the country.\nIn a 37-page decision, Judge Rainelda H. Estacio-Montesa also ordered them to jointly pay the businessman who sued them P400,000 in moral and exemplary damages. Rappler as a company was cleared.\nGlobal media watchdog Reporters Without Borders on Monday said the twin convictions showed the Philippine justice system’s “lack of independence from the Executive branch.”\nThe US government’s remarks came after a joint statement from US Senators Edward J. Markey, Patrick Leahy, and Dick Durbin, who renewed their call for the Philippine government to drop all charges against Ms. Ressa, a former CNN investigative reporter and other local journalists.\nThe Justice department in February last year indicted Ms. Ressa for cyber-libel based on a complaint by a businessman over an article published in 2012, months before the cyber-crime law was passed. The journalist has said the allegations were unfounded.\nA month later, she got arrested again for allegedly violating the ban on foreign ownership in media.\nRappler, which Mr. Duterte has called a “fake news outlet,” is also appealing last year’s order by the Securities and Exchange Commission to close its operations for violating foreign-equity restrictions in mass media. Ms. Ressa is also facing tax evasion cases.\nThe presidential palace has said Mr. Duterte did not have a hand in the court ruling.\nRappler had reported that Wilfredo Keng was the owner of a vehicle used by the late Chief Justice Renato C. Corona \u2014 whom the Senate impeached on corruption charges \u2014 and that he was involved in illegal activities.\nOpposition senators have urged the public to speak out against efforts to silence critics, noting that the conviction comes after the government ordered the shutdown of critical media network ABS-CBN Corp. \nMeanwhile, Senator Ralph G. Recto said the law on cyber-libel has “ambiguities and frightening consequences on our freedom,” adding that Ms. Ressa’s conviction could still be overturned on appeal.\n“A nation can withstand an occasional reckless press, but it cannot survive with a repressed one,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.\nHuman Rights Watch has called the verdict “a devastating blow to media freedom in the Philippines.” \u2014 Charmaine A. Tadalan", "date_published": "2020-06-17T19:55:03+08:00", "date_modified": "2020-06-17T19:55:03+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "tags": [ "bw-covid", "Charmaine A. Tadalan", "Maria A. Ressa", "Rodrigo R. Duterte", "Editors' Picks", "The Nation" ], "summary": "THE UNITED STATES government has raised concerns about the conviction of a journalist critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte for cyber-libel, saying the case must be resolved in favor of press freedom." }, { "id": "/?p=299967", "url": "/editors-picks/2020/06/16/299967/dutertes-media-assault-will-exact-a-price/", "title": "Duterte\u2019s media assault will exact a price", "content_html": "\nBy Clara Ferreira Marques
\nTHE libel conviction for the head of a Philippine news outlet known for its scrutiny of President Rodrigo Duterte\u2019s administration is a blow to one of Asia\u2019s most vibrant media sectors. It\u2019s also the sort of headline that\u2019s often overlooked by foreign executives and fund managers casting around for fast-growing economies. They would be wrong to gloss over this one.
\nDuterte\u2019s rule has already seen institutions eroded and top-level opponents targeted. If fewer questions are asked, that will reduce transparency and drive up the risk premium for investing in the Philippines. That\u2019s something the coronavirus-weakened economy can ill afford when inbound investment is already falling.
\nThe case against Maria Ressa \u2014 whose Rappler site has been directly denounced by the president and often critical of his war on drugs \u2014 was always about more than the allegedly defamatory article on a local businessman, first published in 2012. The verdict, similarly, has ripples far beyond the online publication.
\nMonday\u2019s conviction is no isolated incident. Ressa and her co-accused, Reynaldo Santos, were sentenced to as long as six years in jail, but she faces seven other criminal charges including for alleged tax evasion. There\u2019s more. A month ago, the country\u2019s largest broadcaster, ABS-CBN Corp., shut TV and radio stations after its license wasn\u2019t renewed \u2014 a move repeatedly threatened by Duterte, reportedly because of a disagreement over paid election campaign commercials. Opponents elsewhere, from the human rights commission to the Supreme Court, have fared little better. Meanwhile, lawmakers passed an anti-terrorism bill this month that, while targeting a real problem, could also allow worryingly lengthy detentions without charge.
\nThe presidential spokesman says Duterte upholds free speech and played no role in the Ressa verdict. That should offer little comfort to investors, or to a local population facing the deepest economic contraction in decades. Indeed, it suggests weakened institutions are carrying out the president\u2019s whims without needing to be told. The target is one of the country\u2019s best-known journalists, at home and abroad. Ressa was honored by Time in 2018. With other governments behaving badly, there is little reason to hold back.
\nTo be clear, Duterte isn\u2019t the first occupant of the Malaca\u00f1ang presidential palace to castigate the press, or indeed other institutions, since the end of martial law in the 1980s. While free and outspoken by the region\u2019s standards, the Philippines has also had high rates of violence against journalists. The difference is in what Nicole Curato of the University of Canberra describes as the normalization of attacks on the press, and the sheer volume of vitriol released through spokespeople, political allies, and on social media. Worse, it is done with the language of democracy. At least in openly authoritarian states, as Ressa said Monday, the rules are clear.
\nThe economic context is grim. While the Philippines is young, promising and has been an outperformer in terms of headline expansion, its economy remains highly concentrated, unequal, and opaque. Foreign direct investment and local stocks were fading even before the pandemic, despite infrastructure spending plans and tax reform efforts. After the coronavirus, an economy that had been projected to expand 7% this year will instead contract. Unemployment and underemployment are high and remittances, which account for about 10% of gross domestic product, have dropped.
\nRessa\u2019s verdict brings more reasons for concern.
\nThe first is the increasingly arbitrary nature of the attacks, in part because of the disparate coalition behind Duterte vying for favor. This leaves investors vulnerable, says Aries Arugay, professor of political science at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. Duterte triggered a more than $2 billion stock rout in December after targeting the Ayala family and another local businessman, demanding the renegotiation of contracts with two concessionaires, Manila Water Co. and Maynilad Water Services Inc., to supply the capital. Companies such as Fraport AG and Suez SA left the Philippines over just such disputes.
\nWhile the old guard is under fire, a new, Duterte-friendly oligarchy is being created, tilting an already uneven playing field. Aaron Connelly, research fellow at the International Institute of Strategic Studies, points to telecoms as an example of the change: Duterte ally Dennis Uy, with China Telecom Corp., won the country\u2019s third telecoms license in 2018. Partner risk has always been a problem in Southeast Asia, but the shift away from Manila elites is making this less predictable.
\nLastly, there\u2019s the issue of transparency. The simple act of questioning authority, deals, and negotiations is becoming more challenging. It could get worse still if, as Arugay posits, the current purge fosters the flourishing of partisan Duterte-friendly media. The Manila Times closed in 1999 after running afoul of then-President Joseph Estrada, only to be bought by one of his close associates.
\nDuterte\u2019s enduring popular support, and a term that doesn\u2019t end until 2022, create room for plenty more lasting damage. Investors could do worse than to ponder Ressa\u2019s words after her conviction: This is a precipice.
\nBLOOMBERG OPINION
\n", "content_text": "By Clara Ferreira Marques\nTHE libel conviction for the head of a Philippine news outlet known for its scrutiny of President Rodrigo Duterte\u2019s administration is a blow to one of Asia\u2019s most vibrant media sectors. It\u2019s also the sort of headline that\u2019s often overlooked by foreign executives and fund managers casting around for fast-growing economies. They would be wrong to gloss over this one.\nDuterte\u2019s rule has already seen institutions eroded and top-level opponents targeted. If fewer questions are asked, that will reduce transparency and drive up the risk premium for investing in the Philippines. That\u2019s something the coronavirus-weakened economy can ill afford when inbound investment is already falling.\nThe case against Maria Ressa \u2014 whose Rappler site has been directly denounced by the president and often critical of his war on drugs \u2014 was always about more than the allegedly defamatory article on a local businessman, first published in 2012. The verdict, similarly, has ripples far beyond the online publication.\nMonday\u2019s conviction is no isolated incident. Ressa and her co-accused, Reynaldo Santos, were sentenced to as long as six years in jail, but she faces seven other criminal charges including for alleged tax evasion. There\u2019s more. A month ago, the country\u2019s largest broadcaster, ABS-CBN Corp., shut TV and radio stations after its license wasn\u2019t renewed \u2014 a move repeatedly threatened by Duterte, reportedly because of a disagreement over paid election campaign commercials. Opponents elsewhere, from the human rights commission to the Supreme Court, have fared little better. Meanwhile, lawmakers passed an anti-terrorism bill this month that, while targeting a real problem, could also allow worryingly lengthy detentions without charge.\nThe presidential spokesman says Duterte upholds free speech and played no role in the Ressa verdict. That should offer little comfort to investors, or to a local population facing the deepest economic contraction in decades. Indeed, it suggests weakened institutions are carrying out the president\u2019s whims without needing to be told. The target is one of the country\u2019s best-known journalists, at home and abroad. Ressa was honored by Time in 2018. With other governments behaving badly, there is little reason to hold back.\nTo be clear, Duterte isn\u2019t the first occupant of the Malaca\u00f1ang presidential palace to castigate the press, or indeed other institutions, since the end of martial law in the 1980s. While free and outspoken by the region\u2019s standards, the Philippines has also had high rates of violence against journalists. The difference is in what Nicole Curato of the University of Canberra describes as the normalization of attacks on the press, and the sheer volume of vitriol released through spokespeople, political allies, and on social media. Worse, it is done with the language of democracy. At least in openly authoritarian states, as Ressa said Monday, the rules are clear.\nThe economic context is grim. While the Philippines is young, promising and has been an outperformer in terms of headline expansion, its economy remains highly concentrated, unequal, and opaque. Foreign direct investment and local stocks were fading even before the pandemic, despite infrastructure spending plans and tax reform efforts. After the coronavirus, an economy that had been projected to expand 7% this year will instead contract. Unemployment and underemployment are high and remittances, which account for about 10% of gross domestic product, have dropped.\nRessa\u2019s verdict brings more reasons for concern.\nThe first is the increasingly arbitrary nature of the attacks, in part because of the disparate coalition behind Duterte vying for favor. This leaves investors vulnerable, says Aries Arugay, professor of political science at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. Duterte triggered a more than $2 billion stock rout in December after targeting the Ayala family and another local businessman, demanding the renegotiation of contracts with two concessionaires, Manila Water Co. and Maynilad Water Services Inc., to supply the capital. Companies such as Fraport AG and Suez SA left the Philippines over just such disputes.\nWhile the old guard is under fire, a new, Duterte-friendly oligarchy is being created, tilting an already uneven playing field. Aaron Connelly, research fellow at the International Institute of Strategic Studies, points to telecoms as an example of the change: Duterte ally Dennis Uy, with China Telecom Corp., won the country\u2019s third telecoms license in 2018. Partner risk has always been a problem in Southeast Asia, but the shift away from Manila elites is making this less predictable.\nLastly, there\u2019s the issue of transparency. The simple act of questioning authority, deals, and negotiations is becoming more challenging. It could get worse still if, as Arugay posits, the current purge fosters the flourishing of partisan Duterte-friendly media. The Manila Times closed in 1999 after running afoul of then-President Joseph Estrada, only to be bought by one of his close associates.\nDuterte\u2019s enduring popular support, and a term that doesn\u2019t end until 2022, create room for plenty more lasting damage. Investors could do worse than to ponder Ressa\u2019s words after her conviction: This is a precipice.\nBLOOMBERG OPINION", "date_published": "2020-06-16T16:59:40+08:00", "date_modified": "2020-06-16T16:59:40+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "tags": [ "Clara Ferreira Marques", "Maria A. Ressa", "Editors' Picks", "Opinion" ], "summary": "THE libel conviction for the head of a Philippine news outlet known for its scrutiny of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration is a blow to one of Asia’s most vibrant media sectors. It’s also the sort of headline that’s often overlooked by foreign executives and fund managers casting around for fast-growing economies. They would be wrong to gloss over this one." }, { "id": "/?p=299762", "url": "/editors-picks/2020/06/15/299762/court-issues-guilty-verdict-vs-journalist-critical-of-duterte/", "title": "Court issues guilty verdict vs journalist critical of Duterte", "content_html": "By Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Charmaine A. Tadalan, Reporters
\nA PHILIPPINE trial court convicted a journalist critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte for cyber-libel, a verdict that could lead to six years in jail and one that critics view as a major setback for democratic rights in the country.
\nIn a 37-page decision, Judge Rainelda H. Estacio-Montesa found Maria Ressa, chief executive officer or news website Rappler, Inc. and former researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr. guilty of violating a law against cyber-libel.
\nThey were sentenced to six months to six years in prison. The judge also ordered them to jointly pay the businessman who sued them P400,000 in moral and exemplary damages. Rappler as a company was cleared.
\nGlobal media watchdog Reporters Without Borders on Monday said the twin convictions showed the Philippine justice system\u2019s \u201clack of independence from the Executive branch.
\n\u201cThis sentence bears the malevolent mark of President Duterte and his desire, by targeting Rappler and the figure of Maria Ressa, to eliminate all criticism whatever the cost,\u201d Daniel Bastard, head of the watchdog\u2019s Asia-Pacific desk said in a statement.
\n\u201cThe subject article was republished with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not,\u201d the court said. \u201cThis clearly shows actual malice.\u201d
\nMs. Ressa, a former CNN investigative reporter, said Rappler would continue to be better and stronger, adding that \u201cinvestigative journalism must continue.\u201d \u201cIf we fall over we are no longer democracy,\u201d she said at a briefing.
\nThe Justice department in February last year indicted Ms. Ressa for cyber-libel based on a complaint by a businessman over an article published in 2012, months before the cyber-crime law was passed. The journalist has said the allegations were unfounded.
\nA month later, she got arrested again for allegedly violating the ban on foreign ownership in media.
\nRappler, which Mr. Duterte has called a \u201cfake news outlet,\u201d is also appealing last year\u2019s order by the Securities and Exchange Commission to close its operations for violating foreign-equity restrictions in mass media. Ms. Ressa is also facing tax evasion cases.
\n\u2018REPRESSION\u2019
\nThe presidential palace said Mr. Duterte did not have a hand in the court ruling. His spokesman Harry L. Roque said the President has always supported press freedom.
\u201cThis is not a fight against press freedom, an institution I deeply respect and uphold,\u201d businessman Wilfredo D. Keng, who filed the lawsuit, said in an e-mailed statement. \u201cFor years, I have personally suffered from Rappler\u2019s false accusations against me, which have no place in a responsible and free press.\u201d
\nRappler had reported that Mr. Keng was the owner of a vehicle used by the late Chief Justice Renato C. Corona \u2014 whom the Senate impeached on corruption charges \u2014 and that he was involved in illegal activities.
\nSenators urged the public to speak out against efforts to silence critics, noting that the conviction comes after the government ordered the shutdown of critical media network ABS-CBN Corp.
\n\u201cUnder the current political atmosphere of repression and authoritarianism, it would have been a surprise if Maria and Reynaldo were acquitted,\u201d opposition Senator Francis N. Pangilinan said in a statement.
\n\u201cThe silencing of critics and the attacks on the media have been going on for three years now,\u201d he added.
\nVice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo said the verdict was meant to silence those critical of the government. Opposition Senator Risa N. Hontiveros called it a threat to democracy.
\nHuman Rights Watch called the verdict \u201ca devastating blow to media freedom in the Philippines.\u201d
\nThe verdict stemmed from one of several cases that the government of Mr. Duterte had instigated to stifle Rappler\u2019s critical reporting on the government, particularly its \u201cmurderous war on drugs\u201d that has killed tens of thousands of people since July 2016, it said.
\n\u201cThe verdict against Maria Ressa highlights the ability of the Philippines\u2019 abusive leader to manipulate the laws to go after critical, well-respected media voices whatever the ultimate cost to the country,\u201d said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
\n\u201cThe Rappler case will reverberate not just in the Philippines, but in many countries that long considered the country a robust environment for media freedom,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cThe trial court decision does have a chilling effect not just on freedom of the press but also on freedom of expression,\u201d Maria Ela L. Atienza, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines-Diliman said in an e-mailed reply to questions.
\n\u201cIt can also be interpreted as a possible overreach of the law given its retroactive application and the wide net it casts on the cyber nature of a publication,\u201d she said.
\n", "content_text": "By Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Charmaine A. Tadalan, Reporters\nA PHILIPPINE trial court convicted a journalist critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte for cyber-libel, a verdict that could lead to six years in jail and one that critics view as a major setback for democratic rights in the country.\nIn a 37-page decision, Judge Rainelda H. Estacio-Montesa found Maria Ressa, chief executive officer or news website Rappler, Inc. and former researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr. guilty of violating a law against cyber-libel.\nThey were sentenced to six months to six years in prison. The judge also ordered them to jointly pay the businessman who sued them P400,000 in moral and exemplary damages. Rappler as a company was cleared.\nGlobal media watchdog Reporters Without Borders on Monday said the twin convictions showed the Philippine justice system\u2019s \u201clack of independence from the Executive branch.\n\u201cThis sentence bears the malevolent mark of President Duterte and his desire, by targeting Rappler and the figure of Maria Ressa, to eliminate all criticism whatever the cost,\u201d Daniel Bastard, head of the watchdog\u2019s Asia-Pacific desk said in a statement.\n\u201cThe subject article was republished with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not,\u201d the court said. \u201cThis clearly shows actual malice.\u201d\nMs. Ressa, a former CNN investigative reporter, said Rappler would continue to be better and stronger, adding that \u201cinvestigative journalism must continue.\u201d \u201cIf we fall over we are no longer democracy,\u201d she said at a briefing.\nThe Justice department in February last year indicted Ms. Ressa for cyber-libel based on a complaint by a businessman over an article published in 2012, months before the cyber-crime law was passed. The journalist has said the allegations were unfounded.\nA month later, she got arrested again for allegedly violating the ban on foreign ownership in media.\nRappler, which Mr. Duterte has called a \u201cfake news outlet,\u201d is also appealing last year\u2019s order by the Securities and Exchange Commission to close its operations for violating foreign-equity restrictions in mass media. Ms. Ressa is also facing tax evasion cases.\n\u2018REPRESSION\u2019\nThe presidential palace said Mr. Duterte did not have a hand in the court ruling. His spokesman Harry L. Roque said the President has always supported press freedom.\n\u201cThis is not a fight against press freedom, an institution I deeply respect and uphold,\u201d businessman Wilfredo D. Keng, who filed the lawsuit, said in an e-mailed statement. \u201cFor years, I have personally suffered from Rappler\u2019s false accusations against me, which have no place in a responsible and free press.\u201d\nRappler had reported that Mr. Keng was the owner of a vehicle used by the late Chief Justice Renato C. Corona \u2014 whom the Senate impeached on corruption charges \u2014 and that he was involved in illegal activities.\nSenators urged the public to speak out against efforts to silence critics, noting that the conviction comes after the government ordered the shutdown of critical media network ABS-CBN Corp.\n\u201cUnder the current political atmosphere of repression and authoritarianism, it would have been a surprise if Maria and Reynaldo were acquitted,\u201d opposition Senator Francis N. Pangilinan said in a statement.\n\u201cThe silencing of critics and the attacks on the media have been going on for three years now,\u201d he added.\nVice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo said the verdict was meant to silence those critical of the government. Opposition Senator Risa N. Hontiveros called it a threat to democracy.\nHuman Rights Watch called the verdict \u201ca devastating blow to media freedom in the Philippines.\u201d\nThe verdict stemmed from one of several cases that the government of Mr. Duterte had instigated to stifle Rappler\u2019s critical reporting on the government, particularly its \u201cmurderous war on drugs\u201d that has killed tens of thousands of people since July 2016, it said.\n\u201cThe verdict against Maria Ressa highlights the ability of the Philippines\u2019 abusive leader to manipulate the laws to go after critical, well-respected media voices whatever the ultimate cost to the country,\u201d said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.\n\u201cThe Rappler case will reverberate not just in the Philippines, but in many countries that long considered the country a robust environment for media freedom,\u201d he added.\n\u201cThe trial court decision does have a chilling effect not just on freedom of the press but also on freedom of expression,\u201d Maria Ela L. Atienza, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines-Diliman said in an e-mailed reply to questions.\n\u201cIt can also be interpreted as a possible overreach of the law given its retroactive application and the wide net it casts on the cyber nature of a publication,\u201d she said.", "date_published": "2020-06-15T20:30:53+08:00", "date_modified": "2020-06-15T20:30:53+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "tags": [ "bw-covid", "Charmaine A. Tadalan", "Maria A. Ressa", "Vann Marlo M. Villegas", "Editors' Picks", "One News", "The Nation" ], "summary": "A PHILIPPINE trial court convicted a journalist critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte for cyber-libel, a verdict that could lead to six years in jail and one that critics view as a major setback for democratic rights in the country." }, { "id": "/?p=249208", "url": "/editors-picks/2019/08/21/249208/dutertes-media-critic-hires-us-lobbyists-for-cases/", "title": "Duterte\u2019s media critic hires US lobbyists for cases", "content_html": "By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
\nA US LAW firm has offered free lobby services to Maria Ressa, who heads Rappler, Inc. \u2014 a news website critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte \u2014 to “build awareness and concern” about her criminal cases in the Philippines, according to twin filings in both Houses of the US Congress.
\nLobbying disclosure reports show that Ms. Ressa, who is out on bail for a cyber-libel case, is using Covington & Burling partners Peter Lichtenbaum and Kurt Wimmer to act as her lobbyists in the US.
\nHer criminal cases should matter to the US because there is a “global erosion of freedom that is guaranteed in any democracy around the world,” the Filipino journalist yesterday said by telephone.
\n“It starts with the weaponization of the social media. When a journalist is under attack, democracy is under attack,” she said.
\nThe Justice department in February indicted Ms. Ressa for cyber-libel based on a complaint by a businessman over an article published in 2012, months before the cyber-crime law was passed. The journalist has said the allegations were unfounded.
\nA month later, she got arrested again for allegedly violating the ban on foreign ownership in media.
\nLocal and international media watchdogs and human rights groups have condemned her arrest. New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Mr. Duterte’s government “to cease and desist this campaign of intimidation aimed at silencing Rappler.”
\nMs. Ressa, a former CNN investigative reporter, said Philippine authorities have managed to “twerk” the cases against her and Rappler. “So I am making sure that I am using all of the available options to us.”
\nMs. Ressa, who is also facing tax evasion cases, said “lobbying is a legal and transparent practice in the United States.” “Yes they may lobby, but the main reason why Covington is working for Rappler is to protect our rights,” she said.
\nLobbying is a highly regulated practice in the US, which requires the disclosure of activities seeking to influence the federal government.
\nMaria Ela L. Atienza, a political science professor from the University of the Philippines, noted that while Mr. Duterte and US President Donald Trump seem to like each other, this does not influence both countries’ foreign policies.
\n“Besides, there are a number of republicans in the US Senate who are also reluctant to support the Philippines under Duterte,” she added.
\n“Maria Ressa does have high-profile organizations and personalities as allies or supporters outside the country,” Ms. Atienza said. “They can lobby their governments to exert pressure on the Philippine government in terms of economic aid and military assistance.”
\nMs. Ressa said the Covington partners will look at the news website’s options under international law. The US law firm is doing the lobbying work for free, the journalist said, adding that Mr. Lichtenbaum is a former classmate.
\nCNBC first reported that Ms. Ressa had hired the law firm “to take on President Duterte.”
\nRappler, which Mr. Duterte has called a “fake news outlet,” is also appealing last year’s order by the Securities and Exchange Commission to close its operations for violating foreign-equity restrictions in mass media.
\nThe Supreme Court last month ordered the government to comment on the petition by Rappler, which was banned from covering Mr. Duterte.
\nIn a notice dated July 30, the court gave the Office of the President, Office of the Executive Secretary, Presidential Communications Operations Office, Media Accreditation Registration Office and Presidential Security Group 10 days to submit the pleading.
\nThe ban stays in the absence of a court injunction.
\n", "content_text": "By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter\nA US LAW firm has offered free lobby services to Maria Ressa, who heads Rappler, Inc. \u2014 a news website critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte \u2014 to “build awareness and concern” about her criminal cases in the Philippines, according to twin filings in both Houses of the US Congress.\nLobbying disclosure reports show that Ms. Ressa, who is out on bail for a cyber-libel case, is using Covington & Burling partners Peter Lichtenbaum and Kurt Wimmer to act as her lobbyists in the US.\nHer criminal cases should matter to the US because there is a “global erosion of freedom that is guaranteed in any democracy around the world,” the Filipino journalist yesterday said by telephone.\n“It starts with the weaponization of the social media. When a journalist is under attack, democracy is under attack,” she said.\nThe Justice department in February indicted Ms. Ressa for cyber-libel based on a complaint by a businessman over an article published in 2012, months before the cyber-crime law was passed. The journalist has said the allegations were unfounded.\nA month later, she got arrested again for allegedly violating the ban on foreign ownership in media.\nLocal and international media watchdogs and human rights groups have condemned her arrest. New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Mr. Duterte’s government “to cease and desist this campaign of intimidation aimed at silencing Rappler.”\nMs. Ressa, a former CNN investigative reporter, said Philippine authorities have managed to “twerk” the cases against her and Rappler. “So I am making sure that I am using all of the available options to us.”\nMs. Ressa, who is also facing tax evasion cases, said “lobbying is a legal and transparent practice in the United States.” “Yes they may lobby, but the main reason why Covington is working for Rappler is to protect our rights,” she said.\nLobbying is a highly regulated practice in the US, which requires the disclosure of activities seeking to influence the federal government.\nMaria Ela L. Atienza, a political science professor from the University of the Philippines, noted that while Mr. Duterte and US President Donald Trump seem to like each other, this does not influence both countries’ foreign policies.\n“Besides, there are a number of republicans in the US Senate who are also reluctant to support the Philippines under Duterte,” she added.\n“Maria Ressa does have high-profile organizations and personalities as allies or supporters outside the country,” Ms. Atienza said. “They can lobby their governments to exert pressure on the Philippine government in terms of economic aid and military assistance.”\nMs. Ressa said the Covington partners will look at the news website’s options under international law. The US law firm is doing the lobbying work for free, the journalist said, adding that Mr. Lichtenbaum is a former classmate.\nCNBC first reported that Ms. Ressa had hired the law firm “to take on President Duterte.”\nRappler, which Mr. Duterte has called a “fake news outlet,” is also appealing last year’s order by the Securities and Exchange Commission to close its operations for violating foreign-equity restrictions in mass media.\nThe Supreme Court last month ordered the government to comment on the petition by Rappler, which was banned from covering Mr. Duterte.\nIn a notice dated July 30, the court gave the Office of the President, Office of the Executive Secretary, Presidential Communications Operations Office, Media Accreditation Registration Office and Presidential Security Group 10 days to submit the pleading.\nThe ban stays in the absence of a court injunction.", "date_published": "2019-08-21T20:25:31+08:00", "date_modified": "2019-08-21T20:25:31+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "tags": [ "Maria A. Ressa", "rappler", "Rodrigo R. Duterte", "Editors' Picks", "The Nation" ], "summary": "A US LAW firm has offered free lobby services to Maria Ressa, who heads Rappler, Inc. \u2014 a news website critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte \u2014 to “build awareness and concern” about her criminal cases in the Philippines, according to twin filings in both Houses of the US Congress." }, { "id": "/?p=226107", "url": "/editors-picks/2019/04/15/226107/rappler-motion-on-cyber-libel-denied/", "title": "Rappler motion on cyber-libel denied", "content_html": "MANILA regional trial court (RTC) Branch 46 has denied for lack of merit the appeal of Rappler, Inc. and its CEO and Executive Editor Maria A. Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr. to dismiss their cyber-libel case, with the arraignment of the case thus proceeding on April 16.
\nIn a nine-page order denying the Motion to Quash, Judge Rainelda H. Estacio-Montesa of Branch 46 stated that the elements of libel which include allegations of discreditable act, publication of the charge, identity of the person defamed, and existence of malice were present in the information filed against the court.
\n“Considering that all the essential elements of the offense as defined under RA (Republic Act) 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012) were sufficiently established in the Information, the allegations contained therein, indeed, constitute an offense,” the order read.
\nThe case stemmed from the complaint filed by businessman Wilfredo D. Keng in October 2017 over an article Rappler published on May 29, 2012, which he said was updated in February 2014, titled “CJ Using SUVs of Controversial Businessman,” which reported that Mr. Keng, the alleged owner of the vehicle used by former Chief Justice Renato C. Corona, is involved in various illegal activities.
\nThe Department of Justice (DoJ) indicted them of cyber-libel in January 2019 while the information was filed to the court the next month.
\nThe court also denied the argument of Rappler that the prosecution retroactively applied the said law while a temporary restraining order (TRO) was issued by the Supreme Court on its implementation from Oct. 9, 2012 until April 22, 2014.
\nThe court said the TRO “merely suspends the implementation and enforcement of RA 10175,” so crimes committed during the period cannot be prosecuted, but it did not suspend the effectivity of the law.
\n“So while crimes committed during the said period cannot be prosecuted during the effectivity of the TRO, they may be prosecuted after the lifting of the same just like what is done in this case,” the court said.
\nThe court also upheld the DoJ’s claim that the prescriptive period for the filing of the cyber-libel case is 12 years, as the sentence for cyber-libel is until eight years of imprisonment, contrary to the argument of Rappler that the prescriptive period for the case should be one year, similar to ordinary libel.
\nIt also said that Rappler, Inc. has corporate liability in the case as it published the article on Mr. Keng.
\n“The re-publishing of the article is the illegal act imputed to Rappler Inc., as the publishing platform of the article, which accusation as supported by the prosecutor’s resolution and attached documents the court finds probable cause to proceed with the trial of the case,” it said. \u2014 Vann Marlo M. Villegas
\n", "content_text": "MANILA regional trial court (RTC) Branch 46 has denied for lack of merit the appeal of Rappler, Inc. and its CEO and Executive Editor Maria A. Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr. to dismiss their cyber-libel case, with the arraignment of the case thus proceeding on April 16.\nIn a nine-page order denying the Motion to Quash, Judge Rainelda H. Estacio-Montesa of Branch 46 stated that the elements of libel which include allegations of discreditable act, publication of the charge, identity of the person defamed, and existence of malice were present in the information filed against the court.\n“Considering that all the essential elements of the offense as defined under RA (Republic Act) 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012) were sufficiently established in the Information, the allegations contained therein, indeed, constitute an offense,” the order read.\nThe case stemmed from the complaint filed by businessman Wilfredo D. Keng in October 2017 over an article Rappler published on May 29, 2012, which he said was updated in February 2014, titled “CJ Using SUVs of Controversial Businessman,” which reported that Mr. Keng, the alleged owner of the vehicle used by former Chief Justice Renato C. Corona, is involved in various illegal activities.\nThe Department of Justice (DoJ) indicted them of cyber-libel in January 2019 while the information was filed to the court the next month.\nThe court also denied the argument of Rappler that the prosecution retroactively applied the said law while a temporary restraining order (TRO) was issued by the Supreme Court on its implementation from Oct. 9, 2012 until April 22, 2014. \nThe court said the TRO “merely suspends the implementation and enforcement of RA 10175,” so crimes committed during the period cannot be prosecuted, but it did not suspend the effectivity of the law.\n“So while crimes committed during the said period cannot be prosecuted during the effectivity of the TRO, they may be prosecuted after the lifting of the same just like what is done in this case,” the court said.\nThe court also upheld the DoJ’s claim that the prescriptive period for the filing of the cyber-libel case is 12 years, as the sentence for cyber-libel is until eight years of imprisonment, contrary to the argument of Rappler that the prescriptive period for the case should be one year, similar to ordinary libel.\nIt also said that Rappler, Inc. has corporate liability in the case as it published the article on Mr. Keng.\n“The re-publishing of the article is the illegal act imputed to Rappler Inc., as the publishing platform of the article, which accusation as supported by the prosecutor’s resolution and attached documents the court finds probable cause to proceed with the trial of the case,” it said. \u2014 Vann Marlo M. Villegas", "date_published": "2019-04-15T20:40:48+08:00", "date_modified": "2019-04-15T20:40:48+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "tags": [ "Featured2", "Maria A. Ressa", "rappler", "Vann Marlo M. Villegas", "Editors' Picks", "The Nation" ], "summary": "MANILA regional trial court (RTC) Branch 46 has denied for lack of merit the appeal of Rappler, Inc. and its CEO and Executive Editor Maria A. Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr. to dismiss their cyber-libel case, with the arraignment of the case thus proceeding on April 16." }, { "id": "/?p=224862", "url": "/the-nation/2019/04/08/224862/duterte-spokesman-scoffs-at-5-us-senators/", "title": "Duterte spokesman scoffs at 5 US senators", "content_html": "PRESIDENTIAL Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo on Monday scoffed at five US senators who called for the release of Senator Leila M. de Lima and the dropping of charges against online media group rappler.com\u2019s chief executive officer, Maria A. Ressa, saying they should \u201cmind their own business.\u201d
\n\u201c(T)heir country has enough problems and they should focus on them,\u201d Mr. Panelo said.
\nThe spokesman also clarified President Rodrigo R. Duterte\u2019s threat to declare a revolutionary war, saying it was just \u201can expression of frustration.\u201d
\n\u201cThe threat, if it is a threat, is not against the people but precisely against their enemies, the criminals, the people manning the illegal drug industry, the corrupt bureaucrats, the greedy politicians, the communist rebels, foreign and local terrorists, and other enemies of the state,\u201d he said. \u2014 Arjay L. Balinbin
\n", "content_text": "PRESIDENTIAL Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo on Monday scoffed at five US senators who called for the release of Senator Leila M. de Lima and the dropping of charges against online media group rappler.com\u2019s chief executive officer, Maria A. Ressa, saying they should \u201cmind their own business.\u201d\n\u201c(T)heir country has enough problems and they should focus on them,\u201d Mr. Panelo said.\nThe spokesman also clarified President Rodrigo R. Duterte\u2019s threat to declare a revolutionary war, saying it was just \u201can expression of frustration.\u201d\n\u201cThe threat, if it is a threat, is not against the people but precisely against their enemies, the criminals, the people manning the illegal drug industry, the corrupt bureaucrats, the greedy politicians, the communist rebels, foreign and local terrorists, and other enemies of the state,\u201d he said. \u2014 Arjay L. Balinbin", "date_published": "2019-04-08T20:29:42+08:00", "date_modified": "2019-04-08T20:29:42+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "tags": [ "Arjay L. Balinbin", "Leila M. De Lima", "Maria A. Ressa", "Salvador S. Panelo", "The Nation" ], "summary": "PRESIDENTIAL Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo on Monday scoffed at five US senators who called for the release of Senator Leila M. de Lima and the dropping of charges against online media group rappler.com’s chief executive officer, Maria A. Ressa, saying they should “mind their own business.”" }, { "id": "/?p=223976", "url": "/editors-picks/2019/04/03/223976/ressa-pleads-not-guilty-of-tax-charges/", "title": "Ressa pleads not guilty of tax charges", "content_html": "RAPPLER CEO and executive editor Maria A. Ressa on Wednesday pleaded not guilty in connection with four tax-evasion charges at the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA).
\nMs. Ressa was arraigned over charges against her and Rappler Holdings Corporation of three counts of violation of Section 255 of the Tax Code or “willful failure to supply correct and accurate information in tax returns.” This is in connection with their alleged underdeclared income tax return in 2015 amounting to P162 million and value-added tax liability for the third and fourth quarters of the same year worth P8 million each, exclusive of charges and interests.
\nEric R. Recalde, Ms. Ressa’s counsel, told reporters after the arraignment that they are “confident” they will get a “fair trial.”
\nFor her part, Ms. Ressa said, “The presiding judge was very professional on all sides, so happy with this in that sense…I’m hoping for justice.”
\n“We did nothing wrong and I’m very proud of Rappler with what we have accomplished so I hope, given today , if everything goes through, we now have court dates all the way through, it’s under expedited court . So I hope it’s resolved sooner rather than later.”
\nMs. Ressa maintained these cases against her and Rappler are “politically motivated.”
\n“(W)e will fight every single one and hope for the integrity of the men and women who will handle these cases and that they go as well as today,” she said.
\nA fifth count on tax-related charges was filed before the Pasig City regional trial court (RTC) over Rappler’s alleged VAT liability for the second quarter of 2015 worth P294,258.58.
\nMs. Ressa was arrested on Feb. 13 for cyber-libel but posted bail the next day. She was arrested a second time and again posted bail on March 29 for allegedly violating the Anti-Dummy Law, in connection with Philippine Depositary Receipts worth $1.5 million from Omidyar Network, since donated to Rappler staff. \u2014 Vann Marlo M. Villegas
\n", "content_text": "RAPPLER CEO and executive editor Maria A. Ressa on Wednesday pleaded not guilty in connection with four tax-evasion charges at the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA).\nMs. Ressa was arraigned over charges against her and Rappler Holdings Corporation of three counts of violation of Section 255 of the Tax Code or “willful failure to supply correct and accurate information in tax returns.” This is in connection with their alleged underdeclared income tax return in 2015 amounting to P162 million and value-added tax liability for the third and fourth quarters of the same year worth P8 million each, exclusive of charges and interests.\nEric R. Recalde, Ms. Ressa’s counsel, told reporters after the arraignment that they are “confident” they will get a “fair trial.”\nFor her part, Ms. Ressa said, “The presiding judge was very professional on all sides, so happy with this in that sense…I’m hoping for justice.”\n“We did nothing wrong and I’m very proud of Rappler with what we have accomplished so I hope, given today , if everything goes through, we now have court dates all the way through, it’s under expedited court . So I hope it’s resolved sooner rather than later.”\nMs. Ressa maintained these cases against her and Rappler are “politically motivated.”\n“(W)e will fight every single one and hope for the integrity of the men and women who will handle these cases and that they go as well as today,” she said.\nA fifth count on tax-related charges was filed before the Pasig City regional trial court (RTC) over Rappler’s alleged VAT liability for the second quarter of 2015 worth P294,258.58.\nMs. Ressa was arrested on Feb. 13 for cyber-libel but posted bail the next day. She was arrested a second time and again posted bail on March 29 for allegedly violating the Anti-Dummy Law, in connection with Philippine Depositary Receipts worth $1.5 million from Omidyar Network, since donated to Rappler staff. \u2014 Vann Marlo M. Villegas", "date_published": "2019-04-03T20:43:54+08:00", "date_modified": "2019-04-03T20:43:54+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "tags": [ "Featured2", "Maria A. Ressa", "rappler", "Vann Marlo M. Villegas", "Editors' Picks", "The Nation" ], "summary": "RAPPLER CEO and executive editor Maria A. Ressa on Wednesday pleaded not guilty in connection with four tax-evasion charges at the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA)." }, { "id": "/?p=222396", "url": "/editors-picks/2019/03/27/222396/rapplers-ressa-others-charged-with-violating-anti-dummy-law/", "title": "Rappler\u2019s Ressa, others charged with violating Anti-Dummy Law", "content_html": "ONLINE NEWS site Rappler CEO and Executive Editor Maria A. Ressa and six other members of its 2016 Board of Directors were charged by the Pasig Prosecutor’s Office with violation of the Anti-Dummy Law.
\nThe charge of violation of Section 2-A of Commonwealth Act No. 108 or the Anti-Dummy Law, filed before Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 265, is in connection with Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs) it issued to Omidyar Network Fund, LLC in 2015.
\nCharged along with Ms. Ressa are Rappler Managing Editor Glenda M. Gloria and 2016 directors Manuel I. Ayala, Nico Jose Nolledo, James C. Bitanga, Felicia Atienza, and James Velasquez.
\nAll of them except Ms. Ressa, who is currently out of the country, posted bail of P90,000 before the Pasig City RTC Branch 265.
\nArraignment for the case is scheduled on April 10, 8:30 a.m.
\nThe Court of Appeals (CA) in February denied for lack of merit the motion for partial reconsideration of Rappler, Inc. and Rappler Holdings Corporation over their alleged violation of foreign equity restriction in relation to the PDRs awarded to Omidyar.
\nThe CA ruled that Rappler, as a “mass media” entity, should be wholly owned by Filipinos, but the PDRs issued to Omidyar granted to the foreign company “control over corporate policies and affairs of a mass media entity.”
\nThe appellate court in its resolution also remanded the case to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), directing it to evaluate the legal effects of Omidyar’s donation of its PDRs to Rappler staffs.
\nThe case stemmed from the decision of the SEC in January last yea revoking Rappler’s certificate of incorporation for “existing for no other purpose than to effect a deceptive scheme to circumvent the Constitution” and declaring as void Omidyar’s PDRs for being a “fraudulent transaction.” \u2014 VMMV
By Vann Marlo M. Villegas, Reporter
\nA MANILA court deferred the arraignment for cyber-libel of online news site Rappler, Inc., its CEO Maria A. Ressa, and former researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr. while their motion to dismiss the case is still pending.
\nIn an order, Judge Rainelda H. Estacio-Montesa of Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 46 reset the arraignment to April 12.
\nMs. Estacio-Montesa gave the prosecution 10 days to comment on Rappler’s Feb. 26 motion to quash, and the accused five days from the receipt of the comment to file their reply. The prosecution is then given five days to file its rejoinder.
\nThe case stemmed from the Department of Justice’s (DoJ) indictment of Rappler, Ms. Ressa and Mr. Santos last Jan. 10 over a May 29, 2012, article titled, “CJ Using SUVs of Controversial Businessman,” which reported that businessman Wilfredo D. Keng, the alleged owner of the vehicle used by then chief justice Renato C. Corona, is involved in various illegal activities.
\nMr. Keng said he requested Rappler to take down the article but was turned down. The article was further updated on Feb. 19, 2014. He filed a complaint before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in October 2017.
\nMs. Ressa was arrested by the NBI on Feb. 13 by virtue of the arrest warrant issued by RTC Branch 46, and posted bail on Feb. 14. Mr. Santos is also out on bail as of Feb. 15.
\nIn the motion to quash, the accused, represented by legal counsel from the Free Legal Assistance Group, claimed the prosecution misapplied the “multiple republication” principle in indicting Rappler for cyber-libel as the Supreme Court (SC) decision cited as its basis “is not applicable nor does it constitute authority.”
\n“It is a Third Division decision that only binds the parties thereto. It is canonical that only decisions of the Supreme Court En Banc are vested with the authoritativeness or precedential character,” they said in the motion, adding that it only applies to print media.
\nThe accused claimed that the Cyber Crime Protection Act of 2012 was applied retroactively on the updated article on Feb. 19, 2014 as the SC imposed a temporary restraining order on the law from Oct. 9, 2012 to April 22, 2014.
\nThey also said the “offense has been extinguished,” maintaining that the prescriptive period for cyber libel is one year because it is the same offense as libel in the Revised Penal Code with a prescriptive period of one year “committed through new and additional means.”
Rappler CEO Maria A. Ressa is seen in this photo with (L to R) former education secretary Armin A. Luistro, former Philippine president Benigno S.C. Aquino III, Inquirer columnist Randolph S. David, Vice-President Maria Leonor G. Robredo, Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio S. David, and De La Salle University (DLSU)-College of Law Dean Jose Manuel I. Diokno. Together with the Jose W. Diokno Foundation, DLSU conferred on Tuesday the “Ka Pepe Diokno Human Rights Award” to Bishop David and Ms. Ressa. Also on Tuesday, Ms. Ressa asked the Manila regional trial court (RTC) Branch 46 to dismiss the cyberlibel case against her and former researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr.
\n", "content_text": "Rappler CEO Maria A. Ressa is seen in this photo with (L to R) former education secretary Armin A. Luistro, former Philippine president Benigno S.C. Aquino III, Inquirer columnist Randolph S. David, Vice-President Maria Leonor G. Robredo, Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio S. David, and De La Salle University (DLSU)-College of Law Dean Jose Manuel I. Diokno. Together with the Jose W. Diokno Foundation, DLSU conferred on Tuesday the “Ka Pepe Diokno Human Rights Award” to Bishop David and Ms. Ressa. Also on Tuesday, Ms. Ressa asked the Manila regional trial court (RTC) Branch 46 to dismiss the cyberlibel case against her and former researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr.", "date_published": "2019-02-26T21:15:28+08:00", "date_modified": "2019-02-26T21:15:28+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "tags": [ "Maria A. Ressa", "The Nation" ], "summary": "Rappler CEO Maria A. Ressa is seen in this photo with (L to R) former education secretary Armin A. Luistro, former Philippine president Benigno S.C. Aquino III, Inquirer columnist Randolph S. David, Vice-President Maria Leonor G. Robredo, Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio S. David, and De La Salle University (DLSU)-College of Law Dean Jose Manuel I. Diokno." }, { "id": "/?p=215084", "url": "/editors-picks/2019/02/18/215084/un-report-says-phl-govt-targeting-women-defenders-of-human-rights/", "title": "UN report says PHL gov\u2019t targeting women defenders of human rights", "content_html": "
\nWOMEN HUMAN rights defenders are being targeted in the Philippines, a United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur said in his report to the UN Human Rights Council.
\nThe 20-page Jan. 10 report by Michel Forst, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, reviewed the obstacles women human rights defenders face around the world. In the Philippines, the report cited the situation of Senator Leila M. De Lima, ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno, and Rappler chief executive officer Maria A. Ressa.
\n\u201cWomen leaders who represent their groups and speak out on issues tend to be targeted for their visibility \u2014 not only to silence them but also to discourage broader dissent,\u201d the report stated.
\nThe Council, which will hold its 40th session on Feb. 25 to Mar. 22.
\nPresidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo has yet to respond to queries for comment as of this reporting. However, Mr. Panelo pointed out in an interview with ANC on Monday that there are still many critics of President Rodrigo R. Duterte who are not being charged.
\n\u201cEven if those persons were not subject of criticism of the President, if the evidence shows they committed a crime, they will be facing charges in court. Like (Ms.) Sereno, it was a case of… nonfiling of the SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth). With respect to (the) former Justice Secretary, her case is different, drug involvement. The President has nothing to do with it,\u201d Mr. Panelo said.
\nAsked about a common denominator in the respective cases of these women, Mr. Panelo said, \u201cThey (are) perceived to have committed crimes, (regarding) which,…as far as the prosecutor is concerned, there is probable cause. And as far as the court is concerned, there is probable cause….There are so many people critical of the President who are not being sued.\u201d
\nThe UN report noted that Ms. De Lima has been in detention for almost two years for denouncing the President\u2019s campaign against illegal drugs.
\n\u201cShe has been held on politically motivated, non-bailable charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002; while in detention, she has been subject to restrictions,\u201d the report stated.
\nIt also pointed out that Ms. Sereno was removed as Chief Justice after she objected to Mr. Duterte\u2019s policies on illegal drugs and martial law.
\nMs. Ressa has been charged with tax evasion, which the report cited as \u201cpolitical persecution in response to critical reporting on the government.\u201d
\nIn his report\u2019s recommendations, Mr. Forst called on UN member states to protect the rights of women defenders, \u201cby taking a stand against all State and non-State actors who violate\u201d their rights.
\nAnother UN panel has also raised concerns on the government\u2019s treatment of Ms. De Lima. Last year, the UN Human Rights Council-Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNHRC-WGAD) called on the Philippine government to free the senator. It also referred Ms. De Lima\u2019s case to three UN Special Rapporteurs on freedom of expression, violence against women, and independence of judges and lawyers. \u2014 Camille A. Aguinaldo
JOURNALIST MARIA A. Ressa has posted a P100,000 bail and been freed after an overnight detention at the National Bureau of Investigation following her Feb. 13 arrest for the cyber libel complaint filed by businessman Wilfredo D. Keng.
\nMr. Keng, in a statement through his legal counsel, welcomed the charging of Ms. Ressa and emphasized that he is \u201ccommitted to see this legal battle to the very end.\u201d
\nHe also said that online new site Rappler, where Ms. Ressa is chief executive officer and executive editor, never attempted to get his side or fact-check the allegations against him and that he never had criminal records.
\nThe Department of Justice (DoJ), in a Jan. 10 resolution, indicted Rappler, Inc. Ms. Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr. for cyber libel over an article published on May 29, 2012 titled \u201cCJ Using SUVs of Controversial Businessman.\u201d
\nThe article, updated on Feb. 19, 2014, tagged Mr. Keng, the alleged owner of the vehicle used by former chief justice Renato C. Corona, as involved in various illegal activities.
\nMr. Keng said that with the development in the case, \u201cit is thus high time that we remember that the foundation of our independence, democracy and freedom is based on one simple truth: no one is above the law.\u201d
\n\u201cAs I pursue this case to its just conclusion, I pray that the dispensation of justice be lawful and swift in recognition of the global platform of the perpetrators,\u201d he said.
\nThe businessman also noted that his complaint is a \u201ctest case\u201d on the how the judicial system in the country will \u201cfare against the dangerous precedent that is being set by one reckless and irresponsible member of the media and of the online community.\u201d
\nMs. Ressa\u2019s lawyer, Jose Jesus M. Disini, Jr.,, said they will file a motion to quash the information filed by the DoJ before the court last Feb. 6.
\n\u201cThe judge basically agrees with the probable cause of the Department of Justice,\u201d Mr. Disini told reporters. \u201cWhat we will do is we will file a separate motion to question what was filed and try to have it quashed.\u201d
\nFor her part, Ms. Ressa said her arrest is a demonstration of \u201cabuse of power and weaponization of the law.\u201d
\n\u201cThis isn\u2019t just about me, and it\u2019s not just about Rappler. The message the government is sending is very clear. And someone actually told our reporter this last night, \u2018Be silent or you\u2019re next.\u2019 So I\u2019m saying and appealing to you not to be silent even if and especially if you\u2019re next,\u201d she told reporters after posting bail.
\nShe also hit Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra, saying that her case was due to his actions.
\n\u201cDoJ, Secretary Guevarra who I thought is professional, these are your actions. The ripple effects are what we feel as a society but you don\u2019t want to be known as Secretary of Injustice. I also have the right to hold you accountable. I am a citizen of this country and you can\u2019t violate my rights,\u201d she said.
\nThe DoJ, on the other hand, disputed \u201cunfounded allegations\u201d that the arrest of Ms. Ressa is an attack against press freedom.
\nIn a statement issued by Undersecretary and Spokesperson Markk L. Perete, the DoJ said the courts have consistently held that libel \u201cdoes not enjoy protection\u201d under the Constitution.
\n\u201cIt is therefore irresponsible to claim that press freedom is being curtailed because Ms. Ressa was arrested and faces prosecution for libel. Certainly, the freedom of the press, of speech and of expression, do not give any person \u2014 whether journalist, a blogger, or any person of whatever occupation \u2014t he license to engage in libel,\u201d Mr. Perete said.
\nThe DoJ also emphasized that Ms. Ressa has the opportunity to defend herself and disprove the accusations against her.
\nThe arrest of Ms. Ressa has been widely criticized by local and foreign personalities, organizations, and institutions.
\nSpeaking at Naga City on Thursday, Vice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo said the harassment on Rappler was reminiscent of martial law under former dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos.
\nThe Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said the rule of law must prevail in the case of Rappler and Ms. Ressa.
\n\u201cAs there are questions on the arrest of Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa, we urge the government to ensure Constitutional guarantees, including due process and equal protection of laws, are equally applied to her,\u201d said CHR spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia on Thursday.
\nMeanwhile, David Kaye, United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of right to freedom of opinion and expression, sees the arrest as \u201cinconsistent\u201d with the Philippines\u2019 international obligations on freedom of expression.
\n\u201cLet\u2019s be clear: this very serious escalation of media inconsistent with Philippines obligations to promote and protect freedom of expression,\u201d he said on Twitter.
\nThe Philippines is a state party in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a treaty adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1966.
\nOpposition lawmakers also expressed condemnation, including detained Senator Leila M. De Lima.
\n\u201cFor DoJ to give due course to this case, in spite of its clear infirmities, is demonstrative of an ongoing vendetta against the media outfit,\u201d she said.
\nInternational groups also expressed disappointment.
\nInternational Center for Journalist (ICFJ) said on Wednesday that \u201cjournalism is not a crime.\u201d
\n\u201cWe are outraged over Maria\u2019s arrest,\u201d said ICFJ President Joyce Barnathan in a statement.
\nThe Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) also flagged the incident.
\n\u201cWe will continue to hold those in power led by President Rodrigo R. Duterte or any other leader and their administrations accountable every time we need to. We will speak truth to power with all independent media across the Philippines,\u201d said FOCAP President Jamela Alindogan in a statement.
\nIn Twitter post, CNN Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour said: \u201cYou know a government is desperate when they arrest a journalist.\u201d
\nFormer US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright described the arrest as \u201coutrageous.\u201d
\nMeanwhile, Ateneo de Manila University President Ramon Jose Villarin, a Jesuit priest, encouraged everyone to \u201cspeak when we see things which are not right.\u201d
\n\u201cIn an atmosphere of fear and silence, we are obliged to speak when we see things which are not right, even if doing so can bring individuals and institutions to peril. Speaking truth can be daunting but the greater imperative is to stand our ground against those who sow fear when the truth is spoken,\u201d said Mr. Villarin in a statement on Wednesday night.
\nDe La Salle Philippines President Armin A. Luistro also made a statement on Wednesday through his Instagram account.
\n\u201cLet\u2019s defend press freedom. Let\u2019s make our voices heard. Let\u2019s vote with our feet and stand with Maria Ressa,\u201d said Mr. Luistro.
\nThe University of Santo Tomas Journalism Society questioned the cyber libel case filed against Ms. Ressa. \u2014 Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
JOURNALIST MARIA A. Ressa, chief executive officer and executive editor of online news site Rappler, was served an arrest warrant on Wednesday by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for cyber libel.
\nIn a Twitter post, Rappler said the arrest warrant was “served by the NBI Cybercrime Division” at the company’s headquarters in Pasig City.
\nThe NBI served the Feb. 12 warrant of arrest issued by Judge Rainelda H. Estacio-Montesa of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46 for violation of Section 4(c)(4) of Republic Act No 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
\nThe arrest warrant also included former Rappler reporter Reynaldo Santos, Jr.
\nThe Department of Justice (DoJ) on Jan. 10 indicted Rappler, Inc., Ms. Ressa and Mr. Santos over an article it published on May 29, 2012 titled “CJ Using SUVs of Controversial Businessman,” which reported that businessman Wilfredo D. Keng is involved in various illegal activities.
\nThe DoJ dismissed the claim of Rappler that they cannot be charged with cyber libel as RA 10175 was signed into law on Sept. 12, 2012, four months after the publication of the article.
\nDoJ cited the 2014 revision of the article, which it said constitutes the “multiple publication rule” stating that “a single defamatory statement, if published several times, gives rise to as many offenses as there are publications.”
\nJustice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra told reporters late Wednesday that the department had “no info(rmation) as of this time” on the arrest.
\n“In all likelihood, the warrant is in relation to the cyber libel case. This is simply procedural. Ms. Ressa may post bail anytime, even before the warrant is served,” Mr. Guevarra said.
\nPresidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo, sought for comment, said in a phone message to 大象传媒, “We do not interfere on cases pending before the courts.”
\nHe added that the arrest order is based on the determination of “probable cause.”
\n“[We] reiterate our previous statement [that it has] nothing to [do] with freedom of expression. Ressa is given the opportunity to defend herself. Whatever the outcome of [the investigation is] must be respected by everyone. That is that rule of law….” he said further.
\nFor its part, the National Union of Journalists (NUJP) said in a statement, “The arrest of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa on the clearly manipulated charge of cyber libel is a shameless act of persecution by a bully government.”
\n“This government, led by a man who has proven averse to criticism and dissent, now proves it will go to ridiculous lengths to forcibly silence a critical media and stifle free expression and thought,” the group said, referring to President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
\nIn the same case, charges against respondents Manuel I. Ayala, Nico Jose Nolledo, Glenda M. Gloria, James Bitanga, Felicia Atienza, Dan Albert De Padua, and Jose Maria G. Holifeña were dismissed earlier as they had no participation in the writing and publication of the report. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Arjay L. Balinbin
THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DoJ) has recommended the filing of a cyber-libel case against Rappler, Inc., Chief Executive Officer Maria Angelita Ressa, and one of its reporters over an article published in 2012 in connection with businessman Wilfredo D. Keng.
\nIn an eight-page resolution dated Jan. 10, the DoJ said Rappler, Ms. Ressa and Reynaldo Santos, Jr. violated Section 4(c)(4) of Republic Act No. 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 in the article.
\n“It is clearly defamatory,” the DoJ said.
\n“Under Article 354 of the Revised Penal Code, every defamatory imputation is presumed to be malicious, even if it be true, if no good intention and justifiable motive for making it is shown,” it added.
\nThe case stemmed from a May 29, 2012 article titled “CJ Using SUVs of Controversial Businessman,” which reported that former chief justice Renato C. Corona, who passed away in 2016, used a vehicle registered under the name of Mr. Keng.
\nThe article tackled Mr. Keng’s past, alleging that he was involved in illegal activities such as human trafficking and drug smuggling. It also stated that the businessman was involved in a murder case.
\nMr. Keng said he asked Rappler in 2012 to take down the article, but his request was turned down, and the article was updated in February 19, 2014.
\nHe filed a complaint before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in October 2017.
\nThe DoJ said Rappler claimed that they cannot be charged with cyber-libel because the article was published four months before the law was enacted in Sept. 12, 2012.
\nIn a statement yesterday, Ms. Ressa said, “This indictment is evidence that the law has been weaponized: the NBI’s own lawyers recommended the case be thrown out, and the prosecutors wrongly named me an editor.”
\nThe prosecutors disputed Rappler’s argument, citing the Feb. 19, 2014 updated version of the article and the “multiple publication rule,” which states that “a single defamatory statement, if published several times, gives rise to as many offenses as there are publications.”
\n“Accordingly, we hold that the republication of the article as may have been modified or revised is a distinct and separate offense, for which the author, respondent Santos, should be prosecuted. Respondent Ressa, being the editor, should be included in the indictment,” the DoJ said.
\nThe DoJ also said that the article does not fall under “any of the absolutely or qualifiedly privileged communications,” which are the circumstances where malice in law is not present.
\nMeanwhile, the complaint against respondents Manuel I. Ayala, Nico Jose Nolledo, Glenda M. Gloria, James Bitanga, Felicia Atienza, Dan Albert De Padua, and Jose Maria G. Holifeña were dismissed, noting that they had no participation in the writing and publication of the report. \u2014 Vann Marlo M. Villegas
PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte has no hand in the legal battle of Rappler.com and its CEO and executive editor Maria A. Ressa, Malaca\u00f1ang said on Monday.
\nOn Monday, Ms. Ressa posted bail of P60,000 before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 265 following its issuance of an arrest warrant against her in connection with a P294,258.58 tax-evasion complaint filed by the Department of Justice (DoJ).
\nMs. Ressa faces four other complaints also filed by the DoJ before the Court of Tax Appeals.
\nIn a Facebook post, Ms. Ressa said: \u201cWhile I still can\u2019t believe the Philippine government would issue an arrest warrant based on these politically motivated tax evasion charges, I am ready to face them in court. We need to stop the slide to impunity.\u201d
\nIn a press briefing at the Palace on Monday morning, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said \u201cdefinitely\u201d the President did not have any hand in the legal battle of Ms. Ressa and her company.
\nMr. Panelo also said in response to questions, \u201cHow can they be persecuted? It\u2019s a question of tax evasion. You violate tax laws then you will be prosecuted.\u201d
\n\u201cI will continue addressing the charges with nothing other than to show they are politically motivated, and they are manufactured,\u201d Ms. Ressa told reporters.
\nMr. Panelo said the President has \u201ctoo many obligations to fulfill\u201d for him to interfere with the issue. \u201cWe have repeatedly said that we have never and we\u2019ll never interfere with the function of the judiciary as well as the other branch. If the judiciary finds probable cause for information filed, then we have to respect the law on the matter.\u201d
\nFor his part, Senator Francis N. Pangilinan said in a statement: \u201cWe urge the courts to let due process take its course for Maria Ressa. We condemn the threats, accusations, and harassments against her. We stand with Maria Ressa as she continues to hold the line.\u201d
\nSenator Risa N. Hontiveros-Baraquel said Mr. Duterte\u2019s administration \u201cis implementing a \u2018harass the dissenters, protect the plunderers\u2019 policy.\u201d
\nThe court set Ms. Ressa\u2019s arraignment for Friday.
\nRappler has challenged Mr. Duterte frequently, questioning the accuracy of his public statements and scrutinizing his war on drugs and his foreign policies. It drew the ire of Mr. Duterte, who has lashed out at the news site in several public speeches.
\nCritics said the tax dodging case was an effort to crack down on critical media.
\nIn March, the Securities and Exchange Commission revoked Rappler\u2019s operating license for violating foreign ownership rules. Mr. Duterte\u2019s office has since banned Rappler from covering his official activities.
\nThe news site also faces a cyber libel complaint from a businessman over a 2012 report on human trafficking and drug smuggling.
\n\u201cMore than his inability to tolerate dissent, Duterte\u2019s relentless persecution of media appears to be part of the increasingly authoritarian direction his presidency has taken,\u201d the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said in a statement on Sunday.
\nNew York-based Human Rights Watch demanded that charges against Ressa and her news organization be dropped, calling the case \u201cpart of the Duterte administration\u2019s campaign to harass, threaten and intimidate critics.\u201d \u2014 Arjay L. Balinbin, Vann Marlo M. Villegas, with a report by Reuters