Dear Maria Ressa:

In your sojourns and junkets abroad, you have taken every opportunity to promote your self-interests by telling the foreign media and other rights groups that, in your words, in “war zone Philippines,” the law is being “weaponized” to curtail your freedom of speech.

Nevermind that the very law you condemn has allowed you your continued  freedom in the midst of criminal charges filed against you in the court of law for alleged violation of the Constitution, for tax evasion and for cyber libel.

Have you heard the news that in YOUR other country, the United States, priests and nuns have been arrested simply because they were protesting YOUR President, Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant policies?

Isn’t it ironic that in YOUR other country, the Philippines, priests and nuns have led protests against YOUR President,  Rodrigo Duterte without being arrested?

If you are truly the vanguard of free speech, will you now raise your voice aganst the arrest of protesting clergy in the U.S.? Their freedom of assembly,  free speech and freedom to petition the government are being curtailed, aren’t they?  I’m sure as a U.S. citizen, you know those are inalienable rights, yes? (As a reminder, these were part of the 100 questions you had to review in preparation for the U.S. citizenship test.)

So maybe, you should take up permanent residency in the U.S. and be the champion of free speech among your fellow citizens.  Now, that would somehow validate your collection of phony awards from those rights groups and Western media who have long been  taken by your systematic and distorted rhetoric about freedom of speech.

Don’t worry, being a dual citizen, you would  still be able to come back to the  Philippines anytime to face your criminal charges,

Please put your money where your mouth is.