Palace cheers for Ressa's Nobel Prize but insists press freedom not under attack

Three days after it was announced the Maria Ressa had won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Palace on Monday congratulated the journalist for being the first Filipino to win the award.

"Binabati po natin si Maria Ressa (We congratulate Maria Ressa). It is a victory for a Filipino and we are happy for that," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.

"Wala pong utak talangka rito," Roque added.

(There's no crab mentality involved here.)

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Ressa for her and her news organization Rappler's "efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace."

Ressa is currently on bail pending an appeal against a conviction last year in a cyber libel case, for which she faces up to six years in prison.

Roque, meanwhile, maintained that press freedom was not under attack in the Philippines.

"This is not a slap [on the administration]. There is no censorship of the media, and the Nobel Peace Prize proves that," Roque said

"A journalist who sees the chilling effect should not be a journalist," Roque added. — DVM, GMA News