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Ressa says journalist Cimatu's cyber libel conviction 'sends very difficult signal for PH'

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Veteran journalist Maria Ressa, Feb. 15, 2019. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File " src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/12/15/20190215_maria-ressa-gc_000_6351.jpg"/><figcaption>Veteran journalist Maria Ressa, Feb. 15, 2019. <em>George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File </em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Nobel Peace Prize winner and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa said Thursday the cyber libel conviction of Baguio-based journalist Frank Cimatu was a freedom of speech issue.</p><p>&quot;This is not a freedom of the press issue. This is his personal thought, opinion on his Facebook page. So this isn&#x27;t a journalistic piece of work,&quot; Ressa told ANC&#x27;s &quot;Headstart.&quot;</p><p>&quot;He didn&#x27;t write a report... This is freedom of expression more than it is freedom of the press.&quot;</p><p>Ressa, who is facing at least 7 criminal charges including cyber libel, said what happened to Cimatu &quot;sends a very difficult signal for the Philippines, that you have to be careful what you say.&quot;</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s a push against freedom of expression,&quot; she added. </p><p>Former Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, who lodged the cyber libel complaint against Cimatu, earlier said that his legal victory should be considered a &quot;lesson&quot; that &quot;press freedom isn&#x27;t absolute.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/13/22/journalist-frank-cimatu-convicted-of-cyber-libel">Journalist Frank Cimatu convicted of cyber libel over FB post vs ex-agri chief</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/14/22/piol-on-cyber-libel-case-win-press-freedom-isnt-absolute">Piñol on cyber libel case win: &#x27;Press freedom isn&#x27;t absolute&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>Cimatu was convicted by a Quezon City court over his 2017 Facebook post, which read: &quot;Agri Sec got rich by 21 M in 6 months. Bird flu pa more.&quot; </p><p>The court said the post was defamatory because it imputed a crime, making it appear that Piñol committed was involved in corruption.</p><p>Piñol was secretary of agriculture from 2016 to 2019. He was able to prove in court that his personal net worth increased during the 7 years that he was out of government service — from 2009 to 2016. </p><p>In a decision dated Dec. 12, Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 93 Acting Presiding Judge Evangeline Cabochan-Santos sentenced Cimatu to up to 5 years, 5 months, and 11 days in prison and ordered him to pay Piñol P300,000 in moral damages.</p><p>The decision can still be appealed.</p><p>&quot;If we&#x27;re going to begin to set trends like this then our courts have to be prepared to deal with everything else,&quot; Ressa said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/08/22/ressa-loses-appeal-of-cyber-libel-conviction">Maria Ressa loses appeal of cyber libel conviction</a></li></ul><p>Ressa is back in the Philippines after a series of overseas engagements to launch her book &quot;How to Stand Up to a Dictator.&quot;</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2380794" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa said the cyber libel conviction of Baguio-based journalist Frank Cimatu was a freedom of speech issue.