Palace accuses UN expert of ‘assaulting Philippine sovereignty’

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has accused a United Nations expert who called for the dropping of charges against journalist Maria Ressa and her website Rappler of “assaulting” the Philippines’ sovereignty and “politicizing” a serious crime. 

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression David Kaye had barged into the country’s legal and judicial processes when he urged the government to drop the tax evasion charges against Ressa. 

“Without the benefit of factual information, Mr. Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, has called on the government to drop the tax evasion charges against Rappler and its head, Maria Ressa, contending falsely that the same constitutes censorship,” Panelo said in a statement issued on Saturday.  

“We expect the UN representative to be more circumspect instead of politicizing a crime and ignoring its gravity and assaulting the sovereignty of our country,” he added. 

Rappler Holdings, the parent firm of news website Rappler and Ressa are facing five tax evasion cases. The justice department has accused them of not filing a value-added tax return for the second quarter of 2015. 

Kaye has called on the Duterte administration to drop the charges against Rappler and Ressa, claiming the cases were being used as a “censorship tool.”

The UN expert has also described the charges as “a serious threat against independent and investigative journalism in the Philippines.”