MANILA, Philippines — Rappler chief executive Maria Ressa retaliated at Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday, saying she has the right to hold him accountable for the cyberlibel case filed against her.
“You don’t want to be known as the Secretary of Injustice. I also have the right to hold you accountable,” Ressa told reporters after posting bail on her cyberlibel charge.
Ressa was reacting to Department of Justice (DOJ)’s approval of a cyberlibel charge filed against her and Rappler’s reporter Reynaldo Santos Jr.
(QUICK BACKGROUND: The case stemmed from a cybercrime complaint filed by Chinese-Filipino businessman Wilfredo Keng. Keng was among the subjects of an investigative report Rappler published in 2012.
Chief Justice Renato Corona’s car Chevrolet Suburvan.INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
According to a report written by Santos in 2012, Keng was supposedly lending his black Chevrolet Suburban, a sports utility vehicle, to former Chief Justice Renato Corona. Corona was facing an impeachment trial in the Senate when the story was published. Rappler reported that the SUV, which bore the plate number ZWK 111, was registered under Keng at the Land Transportation Office. While Keng admitted ZWK 111 was his, he stressed he doesn’t own the SUV Corona had been using, the report said. )
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Ressa was arrested on Wednesday by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) following the arrest warrant of Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 46.
Ressa then defended her human rights amid the several charges filed against her.
“I am a citizen of this country and you can’t violate my rights,” Ressa added.
Ressa posted a P100,000 bail on Thursday before the Manila RTC Branch 46. /je