Philippine journalist Maria Ressa calls new libel case ‘ludicrous’, refuses to enter plea

Ressa has faced a series of lawsuits that she says amount to intimidation against her and other journalists in the country

Businessman Wilfredo Keng filed the new case, accusing Ressa of sharing screenshots of a 2002 article linking him to a criminal report

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Rappler CEO Maria Ressa speaks to the media on Tuesday outside a regional trial court before the arraignment in her second cyber libel case, in Makati City, the Philippines. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:45pm, 15 Dec 2020Updated: 8:24am, 17 Dec 2020

Maria Ressa, who heads a Philippine news website known for its tough scrutiny of President Rodrigo Duterte, refused to enter a plea on Tuesday in a second cyber libel case she faces, saying the charges against her were ludicrous.

Ressa, a Time magazine Person of the Year in 2018, has faced a series of lawsuits that she says amount to intimidation against her and other journalists in a country previously known for upholding press freedom.

“I will take this all the way to the end, and we will win it, because it’s ludicrous,” Ressa, CEO of news site Rappler, told reporters outside the court in Manila.

Ressa’s counsel, Theodore Te, said they had agreed to a conditional arraignment while waiting for a decision on a motion to quash the charges.

Maria Ressa speaks to the media on December 4. Photo: EPA

Businessman Wilfredo Keng had filed a new cyber libel case against Ressa, accusing her of sharing screenshots of a 2002 article linking him to a criminal report. Keng’s lawyers did not talk to reporters after the hearing.