(Eagle News) — The Palace on Friday, March 29, urged Rappler’s chief executive officer Maria Ressa to stop using press freedom as an excuse to attack the administration and to just defend herself in court.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo issued the statement after Ressa called her arrest for the charge of violation of the Anti-Dummy Law a type of “harassment.”
“She’s charged of a crime and there is a determination of probable cause hence a warrant of arrest has been issued,” Panelo said.
According to Panelo, “all warrants of arrest issued by competent courts” are served the way hers was served upon her arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
“So she should concentrate on defending herself in court. She cannot be always using the freedom of the press as an excuse to attack the administration,” he said.
Ressa was released later in the day after she posted a P90,000 bail for the charge, which was filed against her, managing editor Glenda Gloria and members of Rappler’s 2016 board after the Securities and Exchange Commission ruled Rappler had allowed “disqualified foreigners” from Omidyar to intervene in the news outfit’s operations when it issued Philippine Depositary Receipts to the same in 2015.
Ressa’s co-defendants posted bail for the charge ahead of her.