Libel case vs Ressa, others in Rappler, personal fight to vindicate my name - Keng
Businessman Wilfredo Keng said Friday that Rappler executive Maria Ressa should not make the mistake in saying that the government was behind his cyber libel case against her.
“I maintain: this is a private criminal action against Rappler, Ressa and other named individuals concerning their untrue, unfair and malicious imputation of grave crimes against me,” he said in a statement.
“It is my personal fight to vindicate my name against the acts of an unethical and irresponsible few,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, senators said attempts to silence and intimidate members of the media may have a "chilling" effect on press freedom.
Senator Grace Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, on Thursday expressed concern over threats to the press after the arrest of Ressa late Wednesday afternoon for cyberlibel.
Poe admitted to being "puzzled" on the arrest and said she wanted to look into the details of Ressa's case.
Ressa and former Rappler reporter Reynaldo Santos Jr. face before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 46 a case for violating Section 4(c)(4) of Republic Act 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
The case stemmed from the complaint of Keng regarding the May 29, 2012 online article written by Santos titled “CJ Using SUVs of Controversial Businessman.”
The article said that then Chief Justice Renato Corona was using a 2011 Chevrolet Subarban that was found to be registered to Keng whom Santos described as “shady” and involved in human trafficking and drug smuggling, among others.
At that time, Corona was facing an impeachment complaint.
Even after the case has already reached the court, Keng lamented that Ressa has branded it as part of government efforts to curtail press freedom.
Sen. Poe said: "I think that we should fear more if the press is silenced because it is really through the freedom of speech that we are able to guard the different institutions of government; that we are also able to uphold democracy in our country." (With a report from Vanne Terrazola)