Verdict against Ressa labelled a sham
MANILA (UCAN): Catholic bishops in the Philippines issued an Independence Day rallying cry calling on Filipinos to unite and fight for freedom against the “anti-people” policies of the government of the president, Rodrigo Duterte.
Manila’s apostolic administrator, Bishop Broderick Pabillo, said on June 11 that the quest for freedom and liberty should never end even if curtailed by a government due to Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
“We celebrate Independence Day with the hope that true independence will come upon us, if now, we defend our freedom,” Bishop Pabillo said in a statement.
The Philippines celebrated its Independence Day on June 12, commemorating 333 years since the end of Spanish rule in 1898.
The bishop said that while Filipinos fight against Covid-19, they should also fight against policies that further oppress people, including a recent anti-terrorism bill that sparked widespread opposition due to provisions that many see as oppressive and unconstitutional.
Duterte’s opponents say the bill is a weapon to silence critics by branding them terrorists and throwing them in jail without court warrants.
The justice secretary, Menardo Guevarra, announced on June 10 that protests are considered mass gatherings and were banned for health reasons and that penal sanction may be used.
Five protesters were arrested by police on June 5 for violating quarantine protocols at the University of the Philippines-Cebu, Visayas campus.
Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos called on Filipinos to protect freedom for future generations.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
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“I ask every Filipino to read well the signs of the times and make their voices heard on the various platforms available,” he said.
Meanwhile, CNN Philippines reported on June 15 that Rappler.com chief, Maria Ressa, long a thorn in the side of Duterte and his cohorts, was found guilty of cyber-libel by a Manila regional court.
“This is a pivotal moment for the Philippines, and a pivotal moment not just for our democracy but for the idea of what a free press means,” Ressa said in a news conference immediately after the conviction.
“This verdict is a sham and should be quashed,” said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific regional director, adding, “With this latest assault on independent media, the human rights record of the Philippines continues its free fall.”
In a statement mailshot by his attorney on June 15, businessman, Wilfred Keng, one of the richest people in the Philippines, who brought the suit against Ressa and former Rappler researcher, Reynaldo Santos Jr., claimed vindication.
