‘Beacon of hope’: Cagayan de Oro journalists hail acquittal of Rappler

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Journalists in Cagayan de Oro hailed the latest legal victory of embattled online news organization Rappler and CEO Maria Ressa, saying the decision of the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) provided a “beacon of hope” for other news organizations across the country.

The journalists said the charges were not really about tax issues but more of political undertones aimed at repressing the news organization critical of the Duterte administration.

Earlier on Wednesday, January 18, the appellate court acquitted Rappler and its CEO, Nobel laureate Ressa, of tax evasion charges filed in 2018 by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Dr. Manuel Jaudian, former president of the Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC) and the chair of the COPC’s Institute of Journalism, said: “The ruling is another victory for the press. It’s also a caveat for any sitting power or despot that they cannot use just about any front to silence the media.”

Jaudian and other journalists in Cagayan de Oro also expressed their support for the decision, saying it was a triumph of truth and a positive step for press freedom and democracy in the country.

They said the acquittal served as a reminder that the media should be able to operate without fear of repression or censorship, and served as a “beacon of hope.”

Cagayan de Oro-based Ryan Rosauro, former national chairman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), called the decision a “triumph of the truth which is becoming a scarce commodity in public life.” 

“Hopefully, this will also give an important shot in the arm for press freedom and democracy in the country,” Rosauro said.

Mindanao Today associate editor Jigger Jerusalem said the CTA decision gave other media outfits and journalists in the country hope that things would get better for journalism in the country and encouraged them to continue to report the truth to the public. (Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story referred to Jigger Jerusalem as the editor-in-chief of Mindanao Today. This has been corrected.)

“The best thing for media practitioners to do is to hold their ground and do what they know best – report the truth to the public,” Jerusalem said.

Dr. Nef Luczon, a director of the COPC, said the decision would likely open up a more frank and open discourse on the role of an independent press in society and the main duty of private news media organizations to be objective watchdogs. 

“It will ignite more discussions on media management and how it is associated with private media’s role in scrutinizing affairs that are of public interest. The business side of running media companies – which includes issues on taxes – is another layer of operation, which should not control nor influence editorial or journalistic credibility,” he said.

Luczon said the main duty of private news media organizations is to be objective watchdogs. 

He said the tax evasion cases also served as a reminder for media companies to follow laws, pay taxes correctly, and secure their business papers.

The decision has been hailed as a significant victory for Rappler and Ressa who faced several legal challenges in recent years because of critical reporting. – Rappler.com