Manila court finds Ressa, researcher guilty of cyberlibel

June 15, 2020

The Manila Regional Trial Court on Monday found Rappler chief executive officer and executive editor Maria Ressa and researcher Reynaldo Santos guilty of cyberlibel.

The cyberlibel case arose from a complaint filed by Wilfredo Keng over a 2012 story that claimed Keng had ties with the late Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Branch 46 Presiding Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa, in her decision, said Ressa and Santos were ''found guilty beyond reasonable doubt for violation of Section 4 (c) (4) of Republic Act No 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.''

Ressa and Santos '' are each hereby sentenced to suffer the indeterminate penalty of imprisonment ranging from six months and one day  of prision correctional as minimum to six years of prision correcional as maximum.''

Montesa ordered Ressa and Keng to pay Keng ''jointly and severally, the following P200,000 as and way of moral damages and P200,000 as and by way of exemplary damages.''

The court found no corporate liability for Rappler Inc under Section 9 of Republic Act 10175.

Ressa, news reports said, has yet to decide with their lawyer on what would be the next move. ''We have 15 days to consider our options,'' said lawyer Teddy Te. The crime is bailable.

In her decision, Montesa said: ''There is no curtailment of the right to the freedom of speech and of the press.''

''Each person, journalist or not has that constitutionality guaranteed right to freely express, write and make known his opinion. But with the highest ideals in mind what society expects is a responsible free press. It is in acting responsibly that freedom is given its true meaning,'' said Montesa.

''The exercise of a freedom should and must be used with due regard to the freedom of others. As Nelson Mandela said 'for to be free is not merely to cast off  one's chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others,'' said Montesa. DMS