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SSCREEN CAPTURE
Filipina journalist Maria Ressa answers reporters' questions after she was released. |
Journalists around the world were troubled by the arrest of Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, executive editor and founder of critical news website Rappler.
Human rights groups were joined by journalists' organizations including the Asian American Journalists Association and the Committee to Protect Journalists.
"The arrest of Maria Ressa is an outrage," said CPJ Board Chair Kathleen Carroll. "The Philippines government needs to cease its multi-pronged attack on Rappler, its talented leader, and its brave staff."
Ressa was recently featured on the 2018 TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year cover and is a world-renowned advocate for press freedom.
“I’ve been a war zone correspondent, I’ve planned coverage when one side is shooting against the other side,” the 55-year old told TIME in New York a few days before she returned to the Philippines. “That is easy compared to what we’re dealing with now.”
“I’ve been a war zone correspondent, I’ve planned coverage when one side is shooting against the other side,” the 55-year old told TIME in New York a few days before she returned to the Philippines. “That is easy compared to what we’re dealing with now.”
Rappler has been critical in its coverage of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, whose administration has alarmed human rights advocates for corruption and a brutal drug war, and under which police and soldiers have suppressed press freedom and political participation. The particular charge refers to a 2012 story covering the then-Phillippine Supreme Court chief justice’s impeachment trial.
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Rupert Colville, spokesperson of UN Rights chief Michelle Bachelet, relayed in a message that the arrest “appears to be the latest element in a pattern of intimidation of a media outlet that has fiercely guarded its independence and its right to conduct in-depth investigations and to criticize the authorities.”RELATED:
Ressa was arrested on Feb. 13 and stayed the night at the National Bureau of Investigation after the Pasay City Regional Trial Court refused to process her bail. After posting bail the next day, she was released.
The board of directors of the CPJ passed the following resolution in support of Ressa, who posted bond and was released the next day.
"Freedom of the press is an essential pillar of democracy and human rights. The arrest in the Philippines of Maria Ressa, founder and executive editor of the news website Rappler, is an alarming development and spark memories of the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. The first thing the Filipino strongman did was to seize the newspapers and television stations and arrested journalists.
"CPJ's board strongly condemns her arrest and calls on the government to immediately release Ressa, drop all charges against her and Rappler, restore official press credentials to Rappler's reporters, and cease its campaign of harassment."The Asian American Journalists Association governing board released the following statement:
"The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) is closely monitoring the judicial proceedings in the Philippines against long-time journalist and award-winning reporter Maria Ressa. Ressa is the CEO and founder of Rappler.com, 2018 Time Person of the Year and recent awardee of the Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
"AAJA calls on the government of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to provide fair, honest and due process to Maria Ressa after her early-December arrest linked to allegations of tax evasion, which she has denied.
"The support of press freedom in the U.S. and around the world, in addition to the support and respectful treatment of journalists who hold governments accountable for their actions, are inherent to AAJA's core principles and mission."
CPJ honored Ressa with the 2018 Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award at its annual International Press Freedom Award ceremony in New York City in November. CPJ board member Sheila Coronel presented the award.
Amnesty International (AI) Philippines condemned Ressa’s arrest, calling it “brazenly politically motivated” and urged Philippine authorities to end the harassment, drop the charges, and repeal the “repressive law.”
“In a country where justice takes years to obtain, we see the charges against Maria Ressa railroaded, and the law being used to relentlessly intimidate and harass journalists for doing their jobs as truth-tellers,” AI said.
Human Rights Watch said the political attacks on Rappler demand a global response. “Governments concerned about the thousands killed in the ‘drug war’ and the media’s ability to report on this and other abuses need to publicly demand Ressa’s release and the dropping of all charges.”
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