Palace slams Ressa for claim reporting in PHL ‘worse than any war zone’

Malacañang on Monday slammed Rappler CEO Maria Ressa for claiming that reporting in the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte was worse than being in a war zone.

“She’s always exaggerating,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said at a news conference.

Panelo countered that the Philippines was only a war zone for those who were involved in the illegal drug trade and who violently resisted any warrant of arrest being served on them.

The Palace spokesman added that journalists were “safe” in the Philippines, despite the country landing on the Committee to Protect Journalists’ list of the top five countries that allegedly enabled impunity in media killings.

“That’s their belief. But the fact is every journalist, whether here or abroad, is free to cover any event in this country; and they come out alive and well and very good at reporting, even if sometimes exaggerating,” Panelo said.

Rappler and its officers led by Ressa faced several lawsuits, including a cyber libel complaint, alleged violations of the country’s anti-dummy laws, and tax evasion.

Ressa, in an interview on American television network CBS, said that her arrest earlier this year was meant to silence her.

She also said that the Philippines’ current media landscape was “far worse than any war zone" that she had ever worked in.

“In a war zone you know exactly where the threats are coming from. We've been living through three years of this kind of hell,” she said.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the environment for journalists as perceived by Ressa “isn’t reflective of the actual environment for journalists in the Philippines.”

“The Philippines’ media environment is vibrant and alive. In fact, criticisms from all sectors of the media are welcomed and encouraged by the Duterte administration,” Andanar said.

“Constructive criticisms, after all, are necessary for us to implement better social services and policies for all Filipinos.” — DVM, GMA News