MANILA, Philippines – Several journalist groups and politicians slammed the Duterte government for the arrest of Rappler CEO and executive editor Maria Ressa over cyber libel charges on Wednesday night, February 13.
The case stemmed from a 7-year-old story written before the cyber libel law was enacted. (READ: Despite NBI flip-flop, DOJ to indict Rappler for cyber libel)
Around 5 pm on Wednesday, officers from the National Bureau of Investigation clad in civilian clothes served the arrest warrant at the Rappler headquarters in Pasig City.
Below are the statements of support from various groups:
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines
In a statement, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines decried Ressa’s arrest, saying “the clearly manipulated charge of cyber libel is a shameless act of persecution by a bully government.”
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Let's Organize for Democracy and Integrity (LODI)
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Global Editors Network
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Global Editors Network stands with its board member <a href="https://twitter.com/mariaressa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mariaressa</a> in these difficult times. We stand by her in the face of government repression and fully support her work. We respect the courage with which she, and <a href="https://twitter.com/rapplerdotcom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rapplerdotcom</a>, approach journalism. <a href="https://t.co/z8HC2f2Rp6">https://t.co/z8HC2f2Rp6</a></p>— Global Editors Network (@GENinnovate) <a href="https://twitter.com/GENinnovate/status/1095629884179865600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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World Editors Forum
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The ink had not dried on our protest letter this morning to Philippines President Duterte for the persecution of <a href="https://twitter.com/mariaressa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MariaRessa</a> when cybercrime division officers arrived at <a href="https://twitter.com/rapplerdotcom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rapplerdotcom</a> headquarters to arrest her. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/journalismisnotacrime?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#journalismisnotacrime</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pressfreedom?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pressfreedom</a> <a href="https://t.co/VZp0ErGhAl">https://t.co/VZp0ErGhAl</a></p>— World Editors Forum (@WorldEditors) <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldEditors/status/1095629232686985216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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College Editors Guild of the Philippines
A Dictator wannabe Duterte has continuously proven that he is an enemy of press freedom and the Filipino people.But today, he has ultimately proven his profound fixation to fully silence criticism and deliberately kill freedom of the press by serving a warrant of arrest against Rappler CEO Maria Ressa on the basis of trumped-up and politically motivated charges.
The College Editors Guild of the Philippines denounces this shameless maneuver and Duterte’s obsession with suppressing media practitioners who only seek to uphold truth and the welfare of the Filipino people, while distracting and bombarding the masses with false information through its fake news-mongers and cohorts.
The Guild and its member publications will not be an exploitable cannon fodder of Duterte’s war against the Philippine press and press freedom. We will not be an instrument of his desperate attempt to deceive the public and render them docile, while he blatantly pursues state-perpetuated violence and anti-people policies.
We will remain true to our duty of exposing the ills of the society and combat Duterte’s deceitful state propaganda. Moreover, we will rouse more publications and alagad ng midya into greater resistance against Duterte’s tyranny and state fascism!
STOP THE ATTACKS! DEFEND PRESS FREEDOM!
Tindig Pilipinas
Tindig Pilipinas condemns with full force the arrest of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa on blatantly flimsy charges.
This is but the cruellest of the government's moves against Rappler which it has been harassing almost from the start of Duterte's administration.
At huwag na tayong maglokohan. Galit ang administrasyong ito sa Rappler dahil makatotohanan ang reporting nito. Bawal sa gobiernong ito ang katotohanan dahil ang kaya lang ng damdamin ng Presidente ang yung mga sipsip at kunsintidor na pinapapurihan siya anupaman ang kanyang gawing kahihiyan.
Rappler has angered the President every time it reports on the growing number of executions due to the drug war, the President's misogynistic rants, his embarrassing diplomatic appearances, his misguided policies leading to inflation and increasing misery, his decimation of Marawi, the corruption, the hypocritical involvement in the drug trade.
We must remind all fellow citizens that the harassment of the press is one of the most notable indicators of a regime that is politically repressive.
The harassment of Rappler is clearly one of political repression and this has been validated by the media sector itself both locally and internationally.
It is time for all Filipinos who value democracy, a free press and truth to rally behind Rappler.
We must boost their readership and encourage advertisers to maintain or increase their partnerships.
It is time to show Duterte that those he persecutes, flourish. To stand with Maria Ressa is to stand with press freedom.
National Union of Peoples' Lawyers
Stripped of its legal trappings and judicial clothing, this arrest over questionable charges that have been excavated are essentially undisguised attacks on press freedom & speech. Together with orchestrated cyberattacks and subtle blackmail on multimedia, this is not only effective censorship but practically prior restraint.
Let there be no doubt about it: whether you are a senator, nun, lawyer, activist, human rights defender, or peace advocate, you will be in the crosshairs of government’s whole coercive apparatus if you dissent or criticize so good that they will make you look so bad.
Senator Kiko Pangilinan
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nabalitaan natin sa social media na hinainan na ng warrant of arrest si Maria Ressa. This is a clear case of the powerful harassing those whose duty is to keep them in check.</p>— Kiko Pangilinan (@kikopangilinan) <a href="https://twitter.com/kikopangilinan/status/1095633707082215424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Human rights lawyer and senatorial candidate Chel Diokno
As a human rights lawyer, as a Filipino, I condemn the Duterte administration’s arrest of Rappler Chief Executive Officer Maria Ressa.
As a human rights lawyer, as a Filipino, I condemn the Duterte administration’s heavy-handed attempt to arrest Rappler CEO Maria Ressa.
Naniniwala tayong dapat pag may sala, may parusa. Pero sa kasong ito, malinaw na ito ay tahasang pag-atake hindi lang sa malayang pamamahayag, kundi sa buong sistema ng hustisya sa ating bansa.
Simula nang naupo sa puwesto ang administrasyong ito, wala na itong ginawa kundi habulin at gantihan—sa kahit na anong paraan, kahit pa baluktutin nila ang katarungan—ang lahat ng naglalakas-loob na tumayo at magsalita at sabihin ang katotohanan.
Hindi na kayo nakuntento sa dami ng trolls ninyo, gusto ninyo pang sakupin ang usapan sa cyberspace. Hindi ba kayo nagsasawa sa dami ng institusyon ng bayan na walang pakundangan ninyong sinisira?
Hindi ba kayo nahihiya na kung sino pa ang dapat nagsisilbi ay siya pang nangunguna sa pang-aabuso sa kapuwa Pilipino?
Pinapaalalahanan ko ang gobyernong ito: hindi panghabambuhay ang kapangyarihan. Pero ang katarungan, ano man ang mangyari, darating at darating iyan.
Nananawagan ako sa ating mga kababayan: panahon nang tumayo at magsalita. Hindi tayo ililigtas ng katahimikan.
Walang ibang lalaban para sa mga karapatan natin, walang ibang lalaban para sa katarungan, kundi tayo din.
Senatorial aspirant Erin Tañada
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The arrest of Maria Ressa proves how the present government has no space for a free press. There is no basis for her arrest because the crime she is accused to have committed was not crime because there was no cyber law at the time. “When there is no law, there is no crime.”</p>— Erin Tañada (@erintanada) <a href="https://twitter.com/erintanada/status/1095642792200593408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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– Rappler.com