MALACAÑANG denied Monday, December 3, that President Rodrigo Duterte had a hand in the arrest warrant issued against journalist Maria Ressa for tax evasion.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte is too busy to allow himself to dip his hands into the matter.

"He has too many obligations to fulfill. As we said, we can hardly cope up with this man. He's always working. We are amazed at how industrious he is," Panelo told reporters.

Ressa, chief executive officer and executive editor of Rappler, posted a P60,000 bail on Monday, December 3, after the Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 265 issued a warrant for her arrest for violation of Section 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997. The order was issued on November 28.