Palasyo ‘di nakialam kay Ressa, mambabatas tumutol

Maraming batas sa Pilipinas at kinakailangan sumunod ng mga mamamayan sa rule of law, ito ang ipinahayag ng Malacañang kasunod ng pag-aresto kay Rapper chief Maria Ressa kaugnay ng kasong cyber libel.

Sinabi ni Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo na dapat tanggapin ni Ressa ang kaso upang madepensahan ang kanyang sarili sa korte.

“The warrant of arrest from Branch 46 of the Manila Regional Trial Court was issued against Maria Ressa based on a finding of probable cause,” aniya.

“We are a country of laws and every citizen must adhere to the rule of law. No one is above the law, not even high profile self-anointed crusading journalists. Whatever the outcome is, it must be respected by everyone for such is the law. This is how the rule of law works,” dagdag niya.

Pinabulaanan ni Panelo ang mga espekulasyon na ang Palasyo ang nasa likod ng pag-aresto kay Ressa, ipinagdiinan na hindi ito nakikialam sa hudikatura.

“This Administration has always respected the Judiciary on how it handles cases pending before its courts. We therefore refrain from interfering in its own present affairs,” sabi niya.

Samantala, kinondena ni Vice President Leni Robredo ang pag-aresto kay Ressa, sinabing ito ay isang “big blow” sa press freedom.

Aniya, ang arrest warrant na inisyu kay Ressa ay “political harrassment” sa pagiging kritikal ng ilang polisiya ng pamahalaan.

“Nakakalungkot. Dine-denounce natin in the strongest terms, na sa panahon ngayon, iyong political harassment dahil sa pagpapahayag ng saloobin, dahil sa pagpapahayag ng pangongontra sa ibang mga polisiya,” sinabi ni Robredo.

Tinuligsa rin ng political opposition ang administrasyong Duterte sa panghaharass kay Ressa.

“The Liberal Party (LP), along with every true ally of liberal democracy in the Philippines, fully and unequivocally stands with Rappler in this dark time for press freedom in the country,” sabi ni Senador Francis N. Pangilinan, LP president.

“This is a clear case of the powerful harassing those whose duty is to keep them in check. Like our partymate Senator Leila de Lima before her, Maria Ressa now stands as a beacon of speaking truth to power, and upholding the very principles that make us a modern, democratic nation,” ani Pangilinan.

“Inuunti-unti at dinadahan-dahan ang bawat institusyong maaaring tumindig laban sa pang-aabuso ng kapangyarihan. Kailangang palagan ito— pawat pulgada, bawat hakbang na may nangyayaring ganito, kailangan nating magsalita, magbuklod, sabihin sa mga nasa poder: Hindi kami papayag, at hindi nag-iisa si Maria. Kailangan nating gumuhit at sabihing nasa panig tayo ng katotohanan at katarungan. Nasa panig tayo ng malayang pamamahayag. Nasa panig tayo ni Maria Ressa,” ayon kay Pangilinan.

Samanatala, nagbigay din ng pahayag si Senador Antonio F. Trillanes IV at sinabing, “I strongly condemn Duterte’s latest effort to persecute independent journalist, Maria Ressa.”

“This move unmasks his despotic regime and his fear of accountability. We must unite and stand for press freedom in these trying times, as Duterte systematically destroys our democracy,” dagdag niya.

Nagbigay din ng pahayag si Senador Paolo Benigno Aquino IV sa pag-aresto kay Ressa, tinawag itong paraan ng gobyerno upang mapatahimik ang mga kritiko, kabilang ang mga mamamahayag.

Nagpahayag naman ng kalungkutan si Senador Nancy Binay sa umano’y pagguho ng press freedom sa Pilipinas.

“Itissaddeningtoseehowjournalists around the world are being restricted, intimidated, silenced, attacked, and constantly threatened even in countries where there is seemingly a democratic space,” pahayag ni Binay.

“The chilling effect of criminalizing journalism should never be helplessly accepted as a convenient necessity to silence those who speak against the status quo,” sabi ni Binay.

“We have fought hard to regain press freedom, and Philippine media has never been more under threat as it is now since 1986,” diin niya.

“Freedom of the press is one of the hallmarks of democracy--and crippling the messenger does not make a thousand messengers broken,” dagdag niya.