INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The cyber libel trial against Maria Ressa, the CEO and executive editor of independent media startup Rappler, started today in Manila, in a
case that will be closely watched because of its implications for press freedom in the Philippines
Also on trial is Reynaldo Santos Jr, a former researcher and writer for the site
If convicted, both potentially face years in jail.Before co-founding Rappler, Ressa, a Time Magazine Person of the Year for her work
In turn, Duterte has accused Rappler of being funded by the CIA and publishing fake news.Both Ressa and Santos were arrested earlier this
year on cyber libel security charges for an article published in 2012 that reported on the alleged ties between Supreme Court Justice Renato
Corona, who was impeached in 2011, and wealthy businessmen including Wilfredo Keng
complaint is an important issue in the trial, because there is usually only a one-year prescriptive period for ordinary libel in the
In order to charge Ressa and Santos, the Department of Justice extended that period to 12 years for cyber libel, which Rappler counsel J.J
Rappler said its investors, including Omidyar Network and North Bridge Media, used Philippine Depositary Receipts, which do not give voting
rights or board membership and have also been used by other companies like ABS-CBN, the national broadcaster.
