Maria Ressa's bid for US travel denied by Court of Appeals

The Court of Appeals (CA) has denied Rappler CEO Maria Ressa's motion to travel to the United States following her cyber libel conviction.

The Special 14th Division said in an August 18 resolution that Ressa was unable to prove that her travel to the US was "necessary and urgent."

The veteran journalist is appealing her conviction before the CA and had asked for permission to attend events in the US for the theatrical release and panel discussion of the documentary "A Thousand Cuts," of which Ressa and Rappler are the subjects, this month.

Ressa had also said she would be receiving an award in Washington, D.C.

While the trial court had allowed Ressa to travel while the cyber libel case was pending, the CA said the conviction "changes her situation."

The appeals court cited the Supreme Court in saying that "conviction, although not yet final, warrants the exercise of greater caution in allowing a person admitted to bail from leaving the Philippines."

The CA said Ressa may still participate in the said events through videoconferencing while she is in the country.

Ressa and former Rappler researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr. were convicted of cyber libel in June over an alleged "republication" of an article that linked a businessman to criminal activities.

They remain free on bail.

Critics of the ruling said it dealt a blow to press freedom in the country.

Ressa and Santos moved for the reconsideration of the trial court's decision but the court stood by its ruling, prompting them to appeal before the CA.