Status: 11.10.2021 10:41 a.m.
More criticism than recognition: the Philippine government has congratulated the journalist and government critic Ressa on winning the Nobel Peace Prize. However, Ressa is “a convicted criminal” who has to “wash herself clean”.
Only three days after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, the government in Manila congratulated the laureate. However, the congratulations were immediately followed by severe criticism.
“We congratulate Maria Ressa on being the first Filipino woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize,” said President Spokesman Harry Roque. I am delighted about this. “But it is also true that there are people who feel that Maria Ressa has to clear their name before our courts,” he added. Ressa was “a convicted criminal,” said Roque.
Ressa sentenced to six years in prison
Background: The investigative reporter and editor-in-chief of the online news portal Rappler is considered a sharp critic of President Rodrigo Duterte and his controversial and brutal “war on drugs”. The 58-year-old was repeatedly threatened, arrested and charged as part of her work.
Last year she was sentenced to at least six years’ imprisonment in a defamation process. She appealed and is free on bail. There are also attempts to revoke Rappler’s license. Observers say the government is trying to silence Ressa and Rappler.
Government: Nobel Prize is proof of freedom of the press
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday to Ressa and the Russian journalist Dmitri Muratov, editor-in-chief of the Kremlin-critical newspaper “Novaya Gazeta”. With the award of the two media representatives, the importance of the protection of freedom of expression and freedom of the press for democracy and peace should be underlined, it was said to justify. Philippine journalists’ associations and human rights organizations described the award as a “triumph” for Ressa.
Duterte, however, had repeatedly accused Ressa of spreading false news. When asked whether the award given to Ressa was to be understood as a reproach for the president, his spokesman Roque said: “Certainly not. This is not a reproach for the government, because as everyone knows, nobody is censored in the Philippines. The freedom of the press is alive, and the Nobel Prize for Maria Ressa is proof. “
The Philippines are considered one of the most dangerous countries for journalists. The country ranks 138th out of 180 on the Freedom of the Press ranking by Reporters Without Borders.