‘Beacon of hope’: Cagayan de Oro journalists hail acquittal of Rappler

 

CONG CORRALES

Cagayan de Oro journalists say the acquittal serves as a reminder that the media should be able to operate without fear of repression or censorship

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Journalists in Cagayan de Oro hailed the latest legal victory of embattled online news organization Rappler and CEO Maria Ressa, saying the decision of the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) provided a “beacon of hope” for other news organizations across the country.

The journalists said the charges were not really about tax issues but more of political undertones aimed at repressing the news organization critical of the Duterte administration.

Earlier on Wednesday, January 18, the appellate court acquitted Rappler and its CEO, Nobel laureate Ressa, of tax evasion charges filed in 2018 by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Dr. Manuel Jaudian, former president of the Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC) and the chair of the COPC’s Institute of Journalism, said: “The ruling is another victory for the press. It’s also a caveat for any sitting power or despot that they cannot use just about any front to silence the media.”