Filipino journalist and Rappler news co-founder Maria Ressa was found guilty on Monday of cyber libel in a landmark case widely seen as a blow to press freedom in the Philippines.
“The right to free speech and freedom of the press cannot and should not be used as a shield against accountability,” the verdict said.
Ressa’s associate Rey Santos Jr. wrote a story in 2012 alleging that a former chief justice maintained close ties with businessmen, including Wilfredo Keng.
In 2017, Keng filed charges against Ressa and Santos Jr., disputing an intelligence report quoted in the article that linked him to drug trafficking activities.
“As this court is mandated to dispense justice, it shall do so not only to protect the Fourth Estate’s freedom of expression and of the press, but also equally to protect the rights of private individuals, such as Keng,” the verdict said.
Read more: Is Philippines muzzling free press amid coronavirus lockdown?
‘Dangerous precedent’
But fellow journalists at online news site Rappler said Monday’s decision had little to do with enacting justice.
“The decision today marks not the rule of law, but the rule of law twisted to suit the interests of those in power who connive to satisfy their mutually beneficial personal and political agenda,” said Rappler. “Today’s verdict sets a dangerous precedent not only for journalists but for everyone online.”
Although Ressa and Santos Jr. were sentenced to up to six years in prison, they do not have to serve the sentence until they have exhausted all appeals. In their case, they can appeal up to the Supreme Court.
Before the trial, Ressa, who leads the online news outlet critical of President Rodrigo Duterte, said the verdict would have “an impact on press freedom, not just in the Philippines but I think all around the world.”
DW’s Melissa Chan expressed solidarity with Ressa, saying she “has spent a lot of energy the past year getting international support to put pressure to bear.”
“It hasn’t worked in the era of Duterte,” she added.
Ressa, veteran journalist, was named one of Time Magazine’s Persons of the Year in 2018.
ls/sttb (dpa, AFP)
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Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/philippines-journalist-maria-ressa-found-guilty-in-high-profile-libel-case/a-53806382?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf