UN’s Khan wants part in Ressa trial
UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan, represented by local counsel Rodel Taton, has formally requested the Supreme Court to grant her status as an amicus curiae (friend of the court) in the cyber libel case involving Maria Ressa, the CEO of Rappler and Nobel Prize laureate.
In her capacity as the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Khan also seeks permission from the SC to submit an amicus curiae brief.
Khan has voiced concerns over the country’s laws, stating that it inadequately safeguards the right to freedom of expression as outlined in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The regional trial court in Manila has previously found Maria Ressa and former writer Reynaldo Santos Jr. guilty of cyber libel, emphasizing that press freedom is not without limitations.
Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa of Branch 46, in a comprehensive 37-page decision, imposed a maximum prison term of 6 years on Ressa and Santos for violating Republic Act 10175, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
The Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed their convictions in 2022 and imposed a lengthier prison sentence. Presently, the case is awaiting review by the Supreme Court.
Wilfredo Keng, the complainant, lodged a cyber libel suit against Ressa and Santos in relation to a May 2012 article implicating him in facilitating the use of his SUV by former Chief Justice Renato Corona. The article also alleged his involvement in human trafficking and drug smuggling.
