Philippines: Maria Ressa, critical journalist for Duterte found guilty of defamation

Text by: RFI Follow

The co-founder of the online news site Rappler is on trial for defamation in a case where she faces years in prison. A defamation case presented by his supporters as an attempt to muzzle the critics of President Rodrigo Duterte.

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When the verdict was announced, Maria Ressa said she would continue to fight for press freedom. The conviction "  is not unexpected, but at the same time, I think we will continue the fight, " she told reporters present after the verdict. We will continue to resist all attacks on press freedom. They try to scare us, but don't be afraid. Because if you do not exercise your rights, you will lose them.  "

Maria Ressa , 56, is the co-founder of the online news site Rappler, who has been the subject of several legal proceedings after publishing critical articles against the policy of the head of state, including his bloody and controversial campaign against the drug traffic.

The former CNN journalist faces up to six years in prison. It is unclear how long she will have to serve if the sentence becomes final. The one who designated by the American magazine Time as one of the personalities of the year 2018, was left free pending the consideration of his appeal.

Sentenced for a shell corrected too late

The trial was based on an article written in 2012 on the alleged links between a businessman and the then president of the Supreme Court of the archipelago. The businessman's complaint was initially dismissed in 2017, but the case was then passed on to the prosecution, which decided to prosecute her and former journalist Reynaldo Santos who wrote the article. The latter was also found guilty on Monday and remained free on bail.

The lawsuits are the result of a controversial cybercrime law, cracking down on defamation online as well as harassment or child pornography. This law entered into force in September 2012, that is to say after the publication of the article complained of. But the prosecution had argued that the correction of a typographical shell in 2014 - Rappler had replaced the word "  evation  " with "  evasion  " - meant that the article now fell under the law.

"  I was warned:" Shut up or you will be next ... "This is partly why I was targeted,  " Maria Ressa told AFP last week. Rodrigo Duterte's government has dismissed accusations that the case was political, saying the authorities are monitoring the law, including against journalists.

Campaign against press freedom

However, for human rights organizations and associations fighting for press freedom, this defamation case, the tax proceedings against Rappler and the government's efforts to withdraw its accreditation to the site are harassment. Amnesty International said the "  attacks  " on Rappler were part of a campaign against press freedom in the Philippines.

The verdict comes a month after the broadcasting of ABS-CBN , the main Filipino media group, stopped . The government had unexpectedly issued a decree ordering their closure due to the difficulties of discussions relating to the renewal of its license. Rodrigo Duterte had been threatening to shut down ABS-CBN, a group that, like Rappler, had largely covered the president's “war on drugs” for years, when he encouraged the police to kill the traffickers of suspected drug and addicts.

Justice undermined

According to the Philippine Drug Control Agency, police have killed at least 5,600 people suspected of drug trafficking during official operations. According to organizations, the real balance sheet is at least three times higher.

Another very critical figure against this war against drug trafficking is Senator Leila de Lima, who has been in detention for three years for drug trafficking. The independence of the judiciary, long tainted with corruption, has been particularly undermined since the coming to power of Rodrigo Dutertre in 2016, according to rights organizations.

(With AFP)

► Read also: Philippines: UN denounces “virtual impunity” in the “war on drugs”

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• Philippines
• Freedom of press

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