MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Responding to social media allegations that her parents are both Inonesian, thereby making her ineligible for dual U.S-Philippine citizenship because she’s not a ‘natural-born’ Filipino, Rappler CEO Maria issued this statement via Twitter today:
”I vehemently deny that both my parents are Indonesian. They’re Jakartans!”
WASHINGTON, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles, Washington Bureau) – Rappler CEO Maria Ressa’s much-ballyhooed claim of suppression of Press Freedom, harassment and political intimidation has caught the fancy of several international media organizations.
Ressa’s claim stems from several cases filed against her that prompted the issuance of warrants of arrest. She is charged with tax evasion and cyber libel.
Now, U.S. President Donald Trump has joined in the fray over Ressa, but for a different reason.
Trump is now questioning Ressa’s dual U.S. and Filipino citizenship in the light of allegations that she is not even Filipino. Some in social media allege that both of Ressa’s parents are Indonesian which makes her ineligible for automatic Filipino citizenship.
”How can I trust her to be an American if she can’t even be trusted to tell the truth about her Filipino heritage.” Trump told The Adobo Chronicles.
”I am therefore inclined to order the State Department and the Department of Justice to revoke Ressa’s U.S. citizenship unless she can show me her birth certificate proving she is Filipino.”
Trump is credited for the birthright movement which came about when he questioned Barack Obama’s citizenship. He continued to doubt Obama’s being a natural-born American citizen even after the former U.S. President made public his birth certificate proving he was born in Hawaii.
We tried to reach Ressa at the Rappler headquarters today for comment but she and her staff were busy dealing with a protest staged by two prominent bloggers, Mark Lopez and Jovybev Aquino who accused her of destroying the image of the Philippines through her antics about her legal troubles.
MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – First it was for tax evasion. Then it was for cyber libel. Now Rappler CEO Maria Ressa is facing yet another charge — that of double identity.
The new case was filed by the Bureau of Immigration against Ressa after she tweeted that every time she would exit or arrive in the Philippines, she would have both her U.S. and Philippine passports stamped by Immigration. Apparently, that is a violation of universally-recognized immigration policy of single identity.
Ressa’s tweet came after Manila Times columnist Rigoberto Tiglao described her as being “ashamed” of her Filipino identity. Ressa is a dual citizen of the U.S. and the Philippines.
A spokesperson for the Bureau told The Adobo Chronicles that having two stamped passports for a single arrival or departure is tantamount to fakery which is against Philippine and International laws.
A third warrant of arrest is forthcoming and can only add to Ressa’s self-inflicted reputation as a victim of political persecution, intimidation and suppression of her Freedom of Speech.
The Adobo Chronicles 
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