黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The arrest of Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa on Wednesday appears to be an action of 鈥渁 bully government,鈥� according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).

According to NUJP鈥檚 national directorate, this is also a part of the current administration鈥檚 obsession to pin down Rappler 鈥� a news website that has been critical of President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 administration.

鈥淭he arrest of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa on the clearly manipulated charge of cyber libel is a shameless act of persecution by a bully government,鈥� NUJP said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

鈥淚t is clear this is part of the administration鈥檚 obsession to shut Rappler down and intimidate the rest of the independent Philippine media into toeing the lines,鈥� they added.

Ressa was arrested because of a cyberlibel complaint filed by businessman Wilfredo Keng, who was mentioned in a Rappler story titled 鈥淐J using SUVs of a controversial businessman.鈥�

鈥淐J鈥� refers to then-Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was going through an impeachment trial in the Senate.

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Rappler鈥檚 Maria Ressa arrested for cyberlibel

Court orders arrest of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa

The NUJP believes that the Department of Justice twisted the law when it charged Ressa with cyberlibel, even if the story involved was published before the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10175) was signed into law.

RA 10175 was enacted on Sept. 12, 2012. The story written by reporter Reynaldo Santos Jr. was first published on May 29, 2012 鈥� although it was last updated on Feb. 19, 2014.

鈥淚t is clear that the Department of Justice perverted the law by charging Maria for an offense allegedly committed before it actually became an offense under the law,鈥� NUJP explained. 鈥淭his government, led by a man who has proven averse to criticism and dissent, now proves it will go to ridiculous lengths to forcibly silence a critical media and stifle free expression and thought.鈥�

Despite the incident, NUJP said that this would not prevent news organizations in the Philippines from speaking out.

NUJP also pleaded to Filipinos to stand with reporters in the Philippines as a whole, to prevent the suppression of the freedom of expression.

鈥淚t may try its worst but we know it will fail, not for lack of trying but because, as it did during the Marcos dictatorship, independent Filipino journalists will never allow freedom of the press to be suppressed,鈥� the union said. 鈥淲e call on all freedom-loving Filipinos to stand with the independent Philipline press in defense of the rights not only of media but of the people. For in suppressing the press it is the people鈥檚 right to know that is trampled on.鈥� /atm