A close adviser to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has claimed that the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, a vocal critic of the government, is proof of the existence of "
freedom of the press
" in the country. archipelago.
Maria Ressa, who in 2012 co-founded the digital investigative journalism platform Rappler, received the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday 8 October, together with Russian journalist Dmitri Muratov, for their efforts to "
safeguard freedom of expression
".
Read alsoHow Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Maria Ressa and former
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Since the election of Rodrigo Duterte in 2016, Maria Ressa and his media have endured arrests, legal proceedings and numerous online threats, especially for denouncing the violence of the anti-drug campaign, led by the president.
The president had notably qualified Rappler as “
false media
” and the journalist was the target of offensive messages online.
Several court cases target the journalist
“
It's a victory for a Filipina and we are very happy about it,
” said Harry Roque, spokesperson for Rodrigo Duterte. "
Freedom of the press is alive and the proof is the Nobel Prize awarded to Maria Ressa
", he added, during the presidency's first public reaction to the awarding of this prize. Filipino news groups and human rights activists hailed the award to Maria Ressa, calling it a "
triumph
" in a country classified as one of the most dangerous in the world for journalists.
Maria Ressa, 58, told AFP on Saturday that she was prosecuted in seven cases. She is currently out on bail pending an appeal, after being convicted in June of defamation in a case where she faces up to six years in prison. Two more cyber defamation charges were dismissed earlier this year. The journalist, who also has U.S. citizenship, said she hopes the award works as a protective shield for her and other Filipino journalists against physical attacks and online threats.
Harry Roque has denied that his government is causing a "
chilling effect
" on the media, saying anyone who claims this "
shouldn't be a journalist
".
He also rejected any hints that the Nobel Prize was "
a slap
in the
face
" for the government, saying "
no one has ever been censored in the Philippines
".
"
Maria Ressa has yet to clear her name in our courts,
" said the spokesperson, calling it "a
takeover of justice
".
"
We leave it to our courts to decide its fate,
" he concluded.