Philippines: 2021 Nobel laureate Ressa to fight conviction at Supreme Court

Philippine Nobel laureate Maria Ressa plans to appeal her cyber libel conviction at the country's Supreme Court, her lawyer said on Tuesday, after losing her legal battle and having months added to her sentence.

In its October 10 decision, the appeals court upheld its earlier ruling that affirmed a lower court's conviction, and added eight months to her six-year jail sentence. Ressa remains free during her appeals process.

Lawyer Theodore Te called the outcome "disappointing", adding it "ignored ... the evidence presented".

Ressa — along with former Rappler researcher and writer Reynaldo Santos — were convicted in June 2020 cyber libel case brought by a businessman over an online article in 2012 by Rappler, that linked him to illegal activities.

The court at the time ruled that Rappler — a news site known for its investigative journalism — had not given the businessman a chance to refute the allegations mentioned in its story, despite him contacting Rappler asking to give his side.

Ressa, a dual US-Filipino citizen, is the head of Rappler, which earned a reputation for its in-depth reporting and tough scrutiny of the then-president Rodrigo Duterte. She said the case was an attempt to harass her.

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