Rappler's Ressa, Talabong arraigned in cyber libel case over 'thesis for sale' story
MANILA, Philippines — Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and journalist Rambo Talabong refused to enter a plea during their arraignment on the cyber libel case they are facing, which stemmed from a piece reporting on an alleged scheme where students at a college in Manila paid to complete a school requirement.
The Manila Regional Trial Court 24 entered a not guilty plea for Ressa and Talabong, following the rules of procedure.
The two journalists, through the Free Legal Assistance Group, moved for the dismissal of the case before trial, through a motion to quash. They argued the Information or charge sheet on the case stated “facts” that do not constitute an offense and that none of the portions of the article that were quoted in the Information are defamatory.
A Rappler representative told reporters the court dismissed the motion to quash. A copy of the court’s ruling however has yet to be made public as of this post.
'Thesis for sale'
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Arnel Pineda, a professor of the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, who allegedly allowed thesis students to pass his subject for a fee. Talabong wrote “Thesis for sale: Benilde students say they paid P20,000 to pass”, which was published on Jan. 23, 2020.
This is the third cyber libel charge filed against Ressa. This is Talabong’s second case, but the first cyber libel complaint against him was dismissed at the prosecutor level.
In June 2020, Ressa and Reynaldo Santos Jr., a former Rappler researcher, were convicted over a story linking businessman Wilfredo Keng to human smuggling and drug trafficking operations. The case is under appeal.
Ressa was also charged with a separate cyber libel case, which also stemmed from Keng’s complaint, but the Makati court eventually junked the case after the businessman moved for its dismissal.
Following the latest suit against Ressa, journalists renewed their call for the decriminalization of libel, arguing that the country’s defamation laws have been used to intimidate members of the press.
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