Update: Maria Ressa Released on Bail in the Philippines

By: ICFJ | 02/13/2019
Ressa, ICFJ's 2018 Knight Award winner, called the latest case against her "political" and vowed not to back down.

Updated Feb. 14: After spending the night in detention, Ressa was released today, telling reporters at a Manila court that it was the sixth time in two months she had posted bail. Ressa wrote on Twitter: "Finally out. Thank you for your support! #Holdtheline."

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) calls on Philippine authorities to immediately free Maria Ressa, founder of the independent news site Rappler, and to drop all charges against her.

Officers with the National Bureau of Investigation on Feb. 13 arrested Ressa, winner of ICFJ’s 2018 Knight International Journalism Award, at her newsroom in Manila, according to Rappler.

The arrest stems from a cyber libel case against her involving a 2012 story about a local businessman, Rappler reported. It is the latest legal attack against the veteran journalist and her team, who also face several tax cases in court.

“We are outraged over Maria’s arrest,” said ICFJ President Joyce Barnathan. “Journalism is not a crime. Philippine authorities should release Maria immediately."

A judge rejected attempts by Ressa’s lawyers to process bail on Wednesday evening, forcing her to spend the night in jail, according to news reports.

Before her arrest, Ressa told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) that the cyber libel charge was “political” and that “the law is being weaponized in an attempt to control the public narrative.”

“We will not be intimidated and will continue to shine the light on actions of impunity,” she said.

Rappler’s hard-hitting reporting on President Rodrigo Duterte’s disinformation campaigns and extrajudicial killings have made Rappler and Ressa targets of legal attacks. Journalists and other supporters have come to the defense of the veteran reporter, who was CNN’s bureau chief in Manila and later Jakarta before going on to found Rappler in 2012.

In December, TIME named Ressa its 2018 Person of the Year, along with a group of other embattled journalists that included former Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

News Category
Country/Region

Latest News

ICFJ Announces Its Inaugural Cohort of Boost Reporting Fellows

Journalists from Gambia, Bangladesh and Ecuador will pursue reporting on climate-related issues with support from ICFJ’s Boost Reporting Grants.

How One News Outlet is Amplifying Solutions for Prenatal Care in the Amazon

Women who live in riverside communities in the Amazon often contend with challenges that prevent them from accessing critical prenatal care, from low tide levels to long, costly journeys. But in the Brazilian state of Pará, in a riverside city of 72 islands, the rate of pregnant women accessing treatment has improved. A reporting series from Amazônia Vox, a news outlet founded by ICFJ Knight Fellow Daniel Nardin, explored how the city’s floating medical clinic made an impact.

ICFJ Knight Awards 2025: Nominate a Journalist You Admire

Each year, the International Center for Journalists honors outstanding colleagues with the ICFJ Knight International Journalism Award at our Tribute to Journalists. We are now seeking nominees whose pioneering coverage or media innovations have made an impact on the lives of people in their countries or regions.