Rappler CEO and Executive Editor Maria Ressa, wearing a protective mask, waves to the media before attending a court hearing at Manila Regional Trial Court, Philippines on June 15, 2020. (Aaron Favila / AP)
MANILA – A Philippine court has dismissed a libel case against Maria Ressa, a lawyer said on Thursday, one of several lawsuits filed against the journalist who says she has been targeted because of her news site's critical reports on President Rodrigo Duterte.
The plight of Ressa, who was named Time Magazine Person of the Year in 2018 for fighting media intimidation, has raised international concern about the harassment of journalists in the Philippines, a country once seen as a standard bearer for press freedom in Asia.
Maria Ressa was convicted in June last year in a cyber libel case filed by businessman Wilfredo Keng over a 2012 article that linked a businessman to illegal activities. Ressa faces up to six years in jail but has appealed the ruling
The cyber-libel case was filed by a college professor against Ressa and a reporter at her site, Rappler, in October over a story which alleged that the professor gave students better grades in exchange for money, an accusation he denied.
Ressa, a dual US-Filipino citizen, and Rappler face several other legal cases, including alleged tax offenses and violation of foreign ownership rules in media.
Theodore Te, Ressa's lawyer, said on Thursday the court dismissed the cyber-libel case on Tuesday after the professor said he was no longer interested in pursuing it.
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It is the second cyber-libel case against Ressa to be thrown out by a court after the complainant withdrew.
Ressa was convicted in June last year in a cyber libel case filed by businessman Wilfredo Keng over a 2012 article that linked a businessman to illegal activities. Ressa faces up to six years in jail but has appealed the ruling.
"It's a temporary relief, but the ongoing campaign of harassment and intimidation against me and Rappler continues," Ressa said in a statement after the case was dismissed.
"These ridiculous cases remind us all of the importance of independent journalism holding power to account."
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque has repeatedly said Duterte supports freedom of speech even as the leader has publicly lashed out at Rappler, calling it a “fake news outlet” sponsored by American spies.
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