Duterte: Arrest of Maria Ressa not an attack on media

President Rodrigo Duterte denies that the arrest of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa is an attack on media, according to the report of GMA's Joseph Morong.

"Aysusmaryosep. Far from it," Duterte said, after he was told that international organizations blame his administration for the arrest.

Pres. Duterte says arrest of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa is not an attack on media; claims he didn’t know Ressa was arrested yesterday. Also said he does not know William Keng who filed cyberlibel case @gmanews pic.twitter.com/n9WqeeNjwn

— Joseph Morong (@Joseph_Morong) February 14, 2019

He also claims that he did not know that Ressa was arrested by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents on Wednesday for cyber libel.

Duterte also said that he does not know William Keng, who filed a cyber libel case against Ressa and a researcher.

Keng filed the complaint against Ressa and Reynald Santos for running the story, "CJ using SUVs of ‘controversial’ businessmen" that supposedly linked him to human trafficking as well as drug smuggling in May 2012.

"Hindi ko kilala yang si Keng, frankly. I do not know him and what prompted him to file a case," Duterte said.

He also said he could not give an opinion on the case because he has yet to read the allegations against Ressa.

Journalists and media watchdog groups have called Ressa's arrest on Wednesday an act of harassment and a demonstration of the Duterte administration's "intolerance of criticism." Ressa has been released on bail.

Ressa was arrest with the warrant issued by Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46 on Tuesday but was served the following day at the Rappler headquarters in Pasig City.

Rappler said efforts had been made so that Ressa can post bail before a Pasay night court, but the judge refused to accept the bail despite having the power to do so under Rule 114, Section 17 of the rules of the court.

She appeared before Judge Maria Teresa Abadilla of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 45 Thursday morning then posted a P100,000 bail. She was released minutes after posting bail. — with Virgil Lopez/BAP, GMA News