By Moira Encina
Eagle News Service
The National of Bureau of Investigation gave Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa 10 days to answer the cyber-libel complaint filed by businessman Wilfredo Keng.
The NBI issued the directive on the day Ressa and her lawyer went to its headquarters after she was subpoenaed in connection with the complaint filed over a Rappler story published in May 2012.
The Rappler report written by Reynaldo Santos said the businessman owned the black sport utility vehicle used by then-Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was facing an impeachment trial at that time, and detailed what it said was Keng’s shady past, citing what Rappler claimed was an intelligence report.
According to Ressa, she had no copy of the complaint filed against her in October 2017 so she also went to the NBI headquarters to get a copy.
She said her meeting with NBI authorities went well, although she refused to detail what she and NBI authorities talked about.
Ressa insisted what the government was doing constituted an attack on press freedom.
For this she noted what she said was the questionable timing of the complaint filed by Keng.
The NBI has, however, already said that what happens to the complaint was beyond their control.
NBI office of cybercrime chief Manuel Eduarte said that as soon as Ressa files her counteraffidavit, they would evaluate the case and submit a recommendation.
Also subpoenaed in connection with the case were Santos and Benjamin Bitanga, owner of Dolphin Fire and shareholder of Rappler Holdings.
Only their lawyers showed up in the NBI headquarters on Monday.
Only recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission revoked Rappler’s certification of incorporation for what it said was Rappler’s violation of the constitutional restriction on foreign ownership in media.
