In the Philippines, authorities have arrested award-winning journalist Maria Ressa in connection with a cyber libel case. Ressa is the founder of the independent news site Rappler and a vocal critic of the country’s president. The charges stem from a story published by Rappler in 2012 in which the paper detailed the alleged criminal ties of a businessman based on intelligence reports. This is Ressa speaking during her arrest earlier today.
Maria Ressa: “What I know is I have not gotten an official copy of the DOJ indictment. We would have the chance to file a motion for reconsideration—we should. The fact that an arrest warrant has been issued, well, really interesting. And I will follow. I’m just shocked that the rule of law has been broken to the point that I can’t see it.”
Rappler and Maria Ressa have been repeatedly targeted by Duterte’s government. In November, authorities indicted Ressa and the site on tax evasion charges, which are widely believed to be politically motivated. Click here to see our November interview with Maria Ressa.