PHL gov’t to Ressa following her claims of admin abuse of power: “You are the one abusing your power as a journalist”

(Eagle News)–The Philippine government on Friday, Feb. 15, scoffed at the claims of Maria Ressa, executive editor of online news outfit Rappler, that it was behind her arrest for cyber libel and was abusing its power, urging her to be  “woman enough” and face her case instead of blaming the administration.

“Excuse me, Maria. Abuse of power? You are the one abusing your power as a journalist. You are marshaling your colleagues to support you on the basis of misplaced and baseless cause. What is the cause?” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.

Addressing Ressa’s claims the government was using the law as a “weapon” to “intimidate,” Panelo said it was actually Ressa who was “weaponizing freedom of expression” against the government.

He said Ressa “wants to be treated differently.”

“You have to be woman enough to face the complaint against you. Stop blaming the government,” he said, adding that those who supported her were either “misinformed” or have not read the complaint.

The cyber libel charges filed by businessman Wilfredo Keng against Rappler, Ressa and former reporter Reynaldo Santos  stem from a Rappler article published in 2012 and edited in 2014 that linked the complainant to illegal drugs and human trafficking, citing an “intelligence report.”

In indicting the three, the Philippines’ Department of Justice said the elements of libel were present in the article.

While the DOJ agreed with Ressa’s camp that the August 2012 publication of the article online was not covered by the Cybercrime Prevention Act, which was enacted in September of that year, it said the editing of the article  in 2014 was.

The DOJ also debunked Ressa camp’s arguments they could not be held for libel as the one-year prescriptive period for the filing of such had already lapsed, saying the three were being charged with cyber libel in the first place.

Under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, the DOJ said, the punishment for such an offense was one degree higher than that of libel.

Given this, the DOJ said Republic Act 3326, which governs special laws such as the cyber libel law, notes that the prescriptive period for such an offense is 12 years.

Tax evasion

Panelo also denied the tax evasion case filed against Ressa and Rappler had something to do with her work as a journalist.

Ressa had cried foul over the filing, saying the administration was oppressing the online news outfit because it was critical of the government.

According to Panelo, if Ressa’s logic is to be followed, “then journalists, commentators, reporters can no longer be sued because there will always be the accusation, the allegation, the perception that the government is trying to curtail your freedom of expression.”

“That cannot be done,” Panelo said.