Keeping things civil: Theodore Te (left), former Philippine Supreme Court spokesman and lawyer for Ressa, shaking hands with prosecution attorneys Ryan Cruz (right) and Joseph Banguis after the start of the trial in Manila. — AFP
Manila: High-profile Philippine journalist Maria Ressa’s libel trial opened in a case that she and press freedom advocates see as government retaliation for her news site’s critical reporting on President Rodrigo Duterte.
Ressa, who leads online outlet Rappler and was named a Time Magazine “Person of the Year” in 2018 for her journalism, is out on bail and faces years in prison if convicted under the criminal cyber-libel law.
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