Rappler, Ressa slapped anew with libel

MANILA, Philippines — The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines once again urged lawmakers to decriminalize libel after news website Rappler was slapped with another defamation case.

Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and Rappler reporter Rambo Talabong are facing a libel complaint filed by a professor from the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde (CSB) over a report about an alleged “thesis for sale” scheme.

They have posted bail of P30,000 each. The complaint, filed before the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 24 on Dec. 7, stemmed from a January 2020 report about CSB students who allegedly paid a professor P20,000 in exchange for a passing mark.

Complainant Ariel Pineda said the story was “false, malicious, derogatory and highly libelous imputation” that he gives a passing grade for a price.

—Nikka G. Valenzuela