Category Archives: Law Enforcement

Maria Ressa Changes Her Tune!

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Convicted Rappler CEO and Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa is finally changing her tune and is now singing happy songs!

Although her online news blog Rappler has consistently referred to Bongbong Marcos as the “son of a dictator” during the last Philippine presidential campaign, Ressa seems to be warming up quickly to the current Malacañang occupant.

While she had stubbornly accused the (Rodrigo) Duterte government of weaponizing the law to curtail press freedom, she now says there is a “lifting of fear” under Marcos, even among journalists.

While she had described the Philippines as the worst war zone she’s ever been in, Ressa now sees a bright future for foreign and local investments in the country.

While she had previously proclaimed to the world that Democracy is dad in the Philippines, she now acknowledges that the court system actually works in the country.

If and when the Philippine Supreme Court decides to overturn her cyber libel conviction, will Ressa finally sing George Frideric Handel’s “Halleluja?”

But what if the high court upholds her conviction? Will she write a sequel to her book, “Standing Up To A Dictator?” Will she and Rappler continue to hold the line?

Maria Ressa Loses Another Argument On Press Freedom!

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Convicted Rappler CEO and Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa has lost another of her arguments on press freedom in the Philippines.

She has just been acquitted in another tax evasion charge filed against her and her Rappler Holdings Corporation.

It will be recalled that in her systematic maneuver to bag the Nobel Peace Prize, Ressa has repeatedly said that the “law is being weaponized” to curtail free speech. She has said that her company is accused of being a “dealer in securities.” Moreover, Ressa has constantly referred to the death of Democracy in the Philippines.

But now that Ressa has again been acquitted, she has lost yet another of her arguments about the Philippine government.

Democracy is indeed alive in the Philippines!

Her last hope to keep her credibility is for the Supreme Court to affirm her conviction by the lower courts of cyber libel.

Will the Nobel Prize Committee eventually rescind her award?

“It’s Showtime!” Possible Appeal DOA In Malacañang?

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – The 12-day suspension of “It’s Showtime” by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) is on appeal. Should Chairperson Lala Sotto and her group decide to deny the motion for reconsideration, the case can be elevated to the Office of the President. But it’s looking like if that happens, it will be “dead on arrival” (DOA) for the noon-time show.

Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile has already spoken about Vice Ganda. He described the show’s host as “salacious” (read: pornographic).

Elevating the MTRCB decision to Malacañang would mean that the Office of the President will refer the matter to Enrile for decision.

DOA, indeed!