Solon congratulates Maria Ressa
DEPUTY Speaker and Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Sunday joined other lawmakers in congratulating online news site Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa for winning the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.
“It’s a personal achievement for her. She holds the distinction of being the first Filipino to be honored with such a much-coveted award. It’s a recognition of her and her news organization’s incessant struggle for and defense of press freedom and freedom of expression. It carries with it the responsibility to pursue such a fight,” Rodriguez said.
Last October 8, 2021, The Norwegian Nobel Committee decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2021 to Maria Ressa and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov.
Ressa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has noted Ms. Ressa’s “courageous fight for freedom of expression…” and they noted that she represents “journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions.
“At a time when there are various attacks on the freedom of the press and expression, when fake news seems to be more of a norm and is being used as a weapon to destroy and as a mean for propaganda, we are very lucky and privileged that people like Maria Ressa continue to fight for what is right and refuse to be silenced, even at the expense of her own freedom and safety,” Rodriguez said.
