Medez, Angelo S.

37

HUMSS-Weber

Maria Ressa's Cyber Libel Case

On the 13th of February, Rappler chief Maria Ressa was arrested over a cyber libel case. She was at
her office in Pasig when the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) agents served the arrest warrant. NBI
agents, however, did not handcuff Ressa. Everyone was shocked and surprised by the news posted by
Rappler. Going back, Maria Ressa published an article entitled "CJ using SUVs of Controversial
Businessman" on the year 2012 which, argued was "clearly defamatory". The case is filed by
businessman Wilfredo Keng. Keng had said he did not lend any vehicle to late chief magistrate, who had
to step down in 2012 over undeclared wealth after he was found guilty by the Senate sitting as an
impeachment court. In a resolution dated Feb 4, states Ressa and reporter Reynaldo Santos Jr.
committed libel under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. .

Source: report from Niko Baua and Mike Navallo, ABS- CBN news.

Persons involved:

Case against: Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr.
Case filer: Businessman Wilfredo Keng
Date the complaint was filed: October 2017
Date of arrest: Feb 14, 2019
Place of arrest: Rappler headquarters
Current verdict: Case hearings continue

My opinion about this case is that on the part of Ms. Ressa and all the journalists, they are just
expressing the truth. The journalists, just doing their job which is to expose the truth, based on the
information that they gathered, without knowing they're risking themselves.Even before, journalism has
been a critical issue in the society, noticing the continuous killings and injustices. Today, still we have the
so-called Freedom of Expression which enables the field of media to express their insights and opinions
towards everything they can encounter.

On the other side, we should observe the rights of others before coming up into a final verdict. As
Filipinos, we are known to be possessing the traditional values that we should apply in every field
especially to the field of journalism such as respect, humbleness and swallowing of pride. We should
think before doing. We should look into multiple perspectives that we cannot make small problems the
bigger ones we want to end.