Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman, Harry Roque, has said that there was no assault on press freedom after the government’s vocal critic and journalist Maria Ressa recently won the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Palace said on Monday that the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the journalist was proof that “press freedom is alive” in the country.
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Earlier, Ressa, co-founder of news website Rappler, and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov were awarded the prize on Friday for their efforts to “safeguard freedom of expression.”
Ressa and Rappler have faced a series of criminal charges on the government’s drug war as well as being the target of abusive messages online.
Duterte has called Rappler a “fake news outlet.”
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“It’s a victory for a Filipina and we’re very happy for that,” Roque said.
“Press freedom is alive and the proof is the Nobel Prize awarded to Maria Ressa,” he added in the presidential palace’s first public comments on the award.
Ressa, who is also a US citizen, said she hoped the prize would help protect her and other journalists in the Philippines against physical attacks and online threats. (AW)
