Under former president Rodrigo Duterte, Nobel laureate Maria Ressa and her outlet Rappler were inundated by court cases that critics say muzzled the free press.
Government accusations of foreign ownership and tax evasion were widely viewed by human rights watchdogs as attempts to put Rappler out of business and silence one of the loudest critical voices in the press. The country’s biggest broadcasting network, ABS-CBN, was alsoRessa would have faced up to 10 years in prison and a $1,700 fine if she had been convicted on this charge. She was
under the Philippine Court of Tax Appeals earlier this year, but the case is under review after a government petition.Julie Posetti, global director of research at the International Center for Journalists who studied online attacks against Ressa, called for the remaining cases against Rappler to be dropped.
Observers and journalists initially expected the state of press freedom to continue to deteriorate under President Marcos. On the campaign trail, Marcos shunned the traditional press in favor of hyperpartisan influencers, as trolls and supporters harassed journalists critical of his family.But with Marcos seeking to rehabilitate his family image and court the West, maintaining Duterte-era grudges could be seen as counterproductive, experts say.
“Clearly, [the] verdict shows just how badly his predecessor weaponized the law against critics,” said Conde. “This should also signal to international actors that much remains at stake as far as rights in Philippines is concerned and they should leverage this ruling to demand … more compliance to international human rights laws and standards.”
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