Maria Ressa: editor of Rappler news website arrested on 'cyber-libel' charges

Philippines president Duterte government accused of shameless persecution

"The editor of an online newspaper in the Philippines has been arrested on charges of cyber-libel as part of what the country’s journalists’ union said was a campaign of intimidation against voices critical of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Speaking from the headquarters of news website Rappler on Wednesday before she was taken away by four plainclothes officers, Maria Ressa said she was not intimidated. “These legal acrobatics show how far the government will go to silence journalists, including the pettiness of forcing me to spend the night in jail,” she added."

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...decry-intimidation-as-website-editor-arrested

Attacks on the media show Duterte’s Philippines is heading for despotism

https://www.theguardian.com/comment...media-duterte-philippines-rappler-maria-ressa

You shouln't be complaining, Keith, your political idols favour such actions as did their heroes at the turn of the twentieth century who were far more brutal than the PNP .

you are going back to the start of the 20th century to point score against Labour? that is sad. Not much empathy for a persecuted fellow journalist.

President Duterte stressed he had nothing to do with the arrest for cyber libel of Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa.
She was arrested Wednesday over a cyber libel complaint filed by businessman Wilfredo Keng.


Read more at https://www.philstar.com/headlines/...ish-picking-her-im-out-it#KdxpLjQZYOdAM6y1.99

CTA to proceed with P70-million tax deficiency cases vs Ressa, Rappler.

MANILA - The Court of Tax Appeals 1st Division has denied the appeal of Rappler Holdings Corp. and its CEO Maria Ressa to have her P70-million tax deficiency cases sent back to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The tax appellate court said in a recent resolution that the language and wording of the 4 informations against Ressa were sufficient to constitute the crimes charged under Sections 254 and 255 of the 1997 National Internal Revenue Code.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/15...G2v1UQ6bRQYOUy8nj5iaTe_iBQJSMr61EvkeRqUtU1vDw

Well, what a surprise. Not. More fake news from the Guardian in defence of a fellow liberal publication and its CEO who has cases filed against her for libel - by a businessman and NOT the President - and a rather large unpaid tax bill.

That's appears to be a standard arrest warrant used for those suspected of committing non-violent crimes and the ten day "arrest and produce" window is quite normal in such cases.