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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/12/maria-ressa-rappler-philippines-duterte-outcry-tax-charges
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| 'An outrage': global outcry at legal threat to news site that stood up to Duterte | 'An outrage': global outcry at legal threat to news site that stood up to Duterte |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| The decision by authorities in the Philippines to charge Rappler, a news website critical of President Rodrigo Duterte’s regime, with tax fraud has prompted an outpouring of support from journalists around the world who have heralded editor Maria Ressa’s bravery. | The decision by authorities in the Philippines to charge Rappler, a news website critical of President Rodrigo Duterte’s regime, with tax fraud has prompted an outpouring of support from journalists around the world who have heralded editor Maria Ressa’s bravery. |
| Rappler, which was founded and is run by Ressa, is facing charges of tax evasion that have been described as a direct attack on press freedom in the Philippines. | Rappler, which was founded and is run by Ressa, is facing charges of tax evasion that have been described as a direct attack on press freedom in the Philippines. |
| Alan Rusbriger, former editor of the Guardian, said on Twitter that the charges were “very concerning”, adding: “Maria Ressa is a great great journalist and needs all of our support.” | Alan Rusbriger, former editor of the Guardian, said on Twitter that the charges were “very concerning”, adding: “Maria Ressa is a great great journalist and needs all of our support.” |
| Lydia Polgreen, editor of Huffington Post, said it was “an outrage”, and that Ressa was “a journalist of the highest integrity”. Jay Rosen, professor of journalism at New York University, said the charges were an attack on “one of the most important free press figures in the world”. | Lydia Polgreen, editor of Huffington Post, said it was “an outrage”, and that Ressa was “a journalist of the highest integrity”. Jay Rosen, professor of journalism at New York University, said the charges were an attack on “one of the most important free press figures in the world”. |
| Emily Bell, director of the digital journalist centre at Columbia Journalism School, said Ressa had been “a beacon of energetic reporting in Duterte’s dark world”. She was echoed by Marty Baron, editor of the Washington Post, who described the charges as an “attack on one of the world’s bravest journalists”. David Clinch, global news editor of Storyful, said simply: “We have your back Maria.” | Emily Bell, director of the digital journalist centre at Columbia Journalism School, said Ressa had been “a beacon of energetic reporting in Duterte’s dark world”. She was echoed by Marty Baron, editor of the Washington Post, who described the charges as an “attack on one of the world’s bravest journalists”. David Clinch, global news editor of Storyful, said simply: “We have your back Maria.” |
| The government had accused Rappler, specifically Ressa, who is executive editor, of failing to pay tax on the company’s 2015 bond sales to two foreign parties to the tune of $3m. Rappler denies all charges and Ressa called it “a clear form of continuing intimidation and harassment.” | The government had accused Rappler, specifically Ressa, who is executive editor, of failing to pay tax on the company’s 2015 bond sales to two foreign parties to the tune of $3m. Rappler denies all charges and Ressa called it “a clear form of continuing intimidation and harassment.” |
| One the same day that news of Rappler’s inditement broke, Ressa was awarded the Knight international journalism award in Washington, DC. In her speech, as she collected the award, she said: “We battle impunity from the Philippine government and Facebook. Both seed violence, fear, and lies that poison our democracy. Those lies on social media formed the basis of the government’s legal cases against us.” | One the same day that news of Rappler’s inditement broke, Ressa was awarded the Knight international journalism award in Washington, DC. In her speech, as she collected the award, she said: “We battle impunity from the Philippine government and Facebook. Both seed violence, fear, and lies that poison our democracy. Those lies on social media formed the basis of the government’s legal cases against us.” |
| Rappler, which was founded by Ressa in 2012, has grown to be one of the most influential news websites in the Philippines. After the election of Duterte in 2016, Rappler was at the forefront in exposing the thousands of extrajudicial killings in the president’s bloody war on drugs and also worked to shed light the army of trolls flooding social media with pro-Duterte propaganda and threatening critics and journalists. | Rappler, which was founded by Ressa in 2012, has grown to be one of the most influential news websites in the Philippines. After the election of Duterte in 2016, Rappler was at the forefront in exposing the thousands of extrajudicial killings in the president’s bloody war on drugs and also worked to shed light the army of trolls flooding social media with pro-Duterte propaganda and threatening critics and journalists. |
| The critical coverage of the Duterte administration angered the president, who began an all-out assault on the news site last year. The tax evasion charges filed over the weekend are the latest in a series of attempts by the government to muzzle Rappler and Ressa. | The critical coverage of the Duterte administration angered the president, who began an all-out assault on the news site last year. The tax evasion charges filed over the weekend are the latest in a series of attempts by the government to muzzle Rappler and Ressa. |
| Last year, the government ordered the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate Rappler for being “foreign owned” – in what Ressa described as “fishing expedition” – then revoked its licence in January. The case is currently in the court of appeals. The government then banned its political reporter from the presidential palace where all media conferences are held. | Last year, the government ordered the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate Rappler for being “foreign owned” – in what Ressa described as “fishing expedition” – then revoked its licence in January. The case is currently in the court of appeals. The government then banned its political reporter from the presidential palace where all media conferences are held. |
| Duterte has personally attacked Rappler in speeches and as a result, Ressa and her journalists have had to endure daily death and rape threats from what has been described as the “pro-Duterte online troll army”, with Ressa receiving up to 90 death threats an hour. The news site’s office in Manila brought in extra security and debated installing bulletproof glass. | |
| Speaking to the Guardian in March, Ressa said she intended to fight off every charge and attack that was thrown at her news organisation by the Duterte regime. “We’re ready to fight it,” she said. “The end goal is to keep reporting, as long as we’re a democracy, and this, as far as I know, is still a democracy.” | Speaking to the Guardian in March, Ressa said she intended to fight off every charge and attack that was thrown at her news organisation by the Duterte regime. “We’re ready to fight it,” she said. “The end goal is to keep reporting, as long as we’re a democracy, and this, as far as I know, is still a democracy.” |
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