Rappler’s CEO and executive editor Maria Ressa posted bail on Thursday, February 14, after spending the night in detention at the at the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters for a cyber libel case in relation to a 2012 article “linking a businessman to illegal drugs and human trafficking.”
Ressa’s lawyers paid Php100,000 in bail at the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46 for the editor’s release.
“Bail posted. We’re just waiting for the release order,” Rappler multimedia head Beth Frondoso told reporters.
Ressa’s camp attempted to post bail immediately following her arrest on Wednesday, February 13, however, their request was denied forcing the editor to spend the night in detention.
Ressa’s arrest was due to a complaint by businessman Wilfredo D. Keng, who was mentioned in a Rappler article published in May 2012 as the owner of the SUV that Corona had used during the impeachment trial.
Keng’s complain, however, did not stem from the mention of his ownership of the vehicle. Rather, he said that he was identified in the article as someone who is allegedly linked to illegal drugs and human trafficking.
The Department of Justice then filed cyber libel charges against Ressa and former Rappler researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr.
