We protest Maria Ressa’s arrest over “cyber libel”

Manila, February 13, 2019 — We condemn the arrest of our colleague Maria Ressa, who was taken into custody over already disproved “cyber libel”. The Philippine’s government’s attempts to stifle dissent and criticism must come to an end.

The award-winning journalist and CEO of Rappler has a history of going head to head with the government over press freedom. A statement on Rappler’s website says that the organization, and Ressa, will not back down.

“The filing of the case is preposterous and baseless. No less than NBI Cybercrime Division chief Manuel Eduarte closed an investigation in February 2018 after finding no basis to proceed, given that the one-year prescriptive period had lapsed. Eight days later, however, the NBI revived the case, and filed it with the Department of Justice on the basis of a theory they call ‘continuous publication,’” the statement says.

Ressa was deliberately arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation right before 5pm, effectively ensuring that she would not be able to make bail. Efforts from her lawyers to process bail through a night court also failed. We find these actions alarming, and urge authorities to review their conduct into the case.

“This is a dangerous precedent that puts anyone — not just the media — who publishes anything online perennially in danger of being charged with libel. It can be an effective tool of’ harassment and intimidation to silence critical reporting on the part of the media. No one is safe,” the Rappler statement says.

The Philippines has been labelled the most dangerous country in Southeast Asia for journalists, and is one of the five worst countries for journalists. Furthermore, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), it is the deadliest Asian country for journalists. Philippines stands at the 133rd position on the 2018 World Press Freedom Index. An International Press Institute (IPI) report showed that around 177 journalists and media workers had been killed in the country since 1986, with 47 murdered in the last 10 years.

This is also not the first instance of Rappler or Ressa coming under attack. In the recent past, the organization has been hit with multiple legal threats, however, it has persisted. We condemn the manner in which laws are being twisted and used against journalists in the country.

We urge the government to conduct itself with integrity, transparency and accountability, and not pursue the case any further.

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The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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