Philippine court dismisses second libel case against journalist Maria Ressa

Ressa says she has been targeted because of her site Rappler’s critical reports on President Rodrigo Duterte, and she faces several legal cases

‘Two down, seven to go,’ said her lawyer Amal Clooney, who added it was a vindication to see the court dismissing the latest libel case

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Philippine journalist Maria Ressa is seen outside a court hearing in Manila in 2020. A second libel case against her has been dismissed, but she still faces other legal challenges. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:35pm, 12 Aug 2021Updated: 10:35pm, 12 Aug 2021

A court in the Philippines has dismissed a libel case against Maria Ressa, one of several lawsuits filed against the journalist who says she has been targeted because of her news site’s critical reports on President Rodrigo Duterte.

The plight of Ressa, who was named Time Magazine Person of the Year in 2018 for fighting media intimidation, has raised international concern about the harassment of journalists in the Philippines, a country once seen as a standard bearer for press freedom in Asia.

The cyber-libel case was filed by a university professor against Ressa and a reporter at her site, Rappler, in October over a story which alleged that the professor gave students better grades in exchange for money, an accusation he denied.

Ressa, a dual US-Filipino citizen and former CNN correspondent, and Rappler face several other legal cases, including alleged tax offences and violation of foreign ownership rules in media.

Theodore Te, Ressa’s lawyer, said on Thursday the court dismissed the cyber-libel case on Tuesday after the professor said he was no longer interested in pursuing it.