Nothing wrong with justice system: Roque

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STUNG by criticisms from the United States and the European Union over the guilty verdict on Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque yesterday shot back that the judicial system in the country is working just fine.

“Our institutions are working and the decision of the court is correct. If they feel that the decision was wrong, they can file an appeal instead of attacking the institution,” Roque said during an interview by state-run television network PTV.

He maintained that Ressa and former Rappler researcher and writer Reynaldo Santos Jr. were found guilty after they failed to defend themselves and present evidence to prove that the article published at the Rappler news site was not laced with malice.

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Roque said the Manila court guilty verdict was meted because of “bad journalism, bad legal defense.”

Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa on Monday found Ressa and Santos guilty of cyber libel over a 2012 article that linked businessman Wlfredo Keng to alleged illegal activities. The two were sentenced to at least 6 months and up to 6 years in prison.

Roque said it was unfair to accuse or even think that the decision was meted out simply because President Duterte had appointed the husband of Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa and the daughter of Keng in government.

Montesa’s husband, Jacob Montesa II, was one of the 51 judges appointed by the President in April this year, while Keng’s daughter, Patricia Anne, was appointed as member of the Philippine Commission on Women for the youth sector in September 2019.
Roque said the appointments do not affect the integrity of the verdict.

He added that the President does not personally know some of his appointees who undergo a vetting process and must meet certain qualifications before they are appointed in government.

The US State Department on Tuesday expressed concern on the guilty verdict on Ressa and Santos.

“The United States is concerned by the trial court’s verdict against journalists Maria Ressa and Reynaldo Santos and calls for resolution of the case in a way that reinforces the US and Philippines’ long shared commitment to freedom of expression, including for members of the press,” US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.

“Free speech is the lifeblood of democracy,” she added in a tweet.
Ressa is a dual citizen of the United States and the Philippines.

The EU, on the other hand, said the guilty verdict casts doubts “over the respect for freedom of expression as well as for the rule of law in the Philippines.”

“Freedom of opinion and expression, online and offline, are essential parts of any democracy worldwide. The European Union will always stand up for these fundamental rights,” the EU has said in a statement.

The EU also reminded the Philippine government that it was a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in which the right to freedom of expression is enshrined in Article 19.

“We expect the Philippines, like all countries, to uphold its international human rights obligations and protect and promote fundamental freedoms,” the EU said.

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