THE local chapter of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) strongly denounced the arrest and detention of Rappler chief executive officer and executive editor Maria Ressa.

The group led by NUJP national chairman Jose Espina staged an indignation rally Thursday afternoon, February 14, at the Fountain of Justice in Bacolod City to call on the government to stop these attacks and uphold the press freedom. They were joined by members of progressive groups.

Ressa was arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) at the Rappler office in Pasig City late Wednesday afternoon, February 13, following the service of the arrest warrant for cyber libel charges filed by a businessman.

The case stemmed from a story that was published in 2012, months before the Cybercrime Law was enacted.

The arrest of Ressa is clearly a desperate move of the government to suppress the media and the dissent, NUJP-Bacolod said in a statement.

The horrifying truth these days is that the government see journalists as a threat, as efforts to silence the press continue to mount, it added.

“The problem with this administration is it does not tolerate dissent. Critical reporting is viewed as a hostile action against the government,” NUJP-Bacolod added.

The attack on Rappler is just one of the many threats hurled against the members of the press, who only report the truth so the public will know, the statement said.

“We do not have the luxury to lose our freedom. We must fight, we must not be cowed,” NUJP-Bacolod stressed.