STATEMENT ON RAPPLER AND ITS TOP EXECUTIVE MARIA RESSA

Dear JFCC members and friends,

We note with concern a move by the Philippine justice department to indict online news site, Rappler, and its top executive, Maria Ressa, for tax evasion.
Rappler, which has been a frequent critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, has denied evading any tax obligations and believes this is an attempt to silence the site over its outspoken reporting on the administration. Earlier this year, the country’s Securities and Exchange Commission also sought to revoke Rappler’s license over allegations it had violated laws on foreign ownership.
Maria has been a journalist in Asia for more than 25 years, most of them as CNN’s bureau chief in Manila then Jakarta.
She was previously president of this club when based in Indonesia.

The JFCC Executive Committee