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The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines condemns the arrest of Maria Ressa and stands with her and Rappler in this latest legal stratagem that threatens the freedom of the press all of us have fought for and will always defend.
We in FOCAP will always stand against any move, explicit or otherwise, that is designed to undermine the freedoms that are a lifeline to truly free, relevant and courageous journalism.
We will continue to hold those in power led by President Rodrigo Duterte or any other leader and their administrations accountable every time we need to.
We will speak truth to power with all independent media across the Philippines. Press freedom is one of the democratic pillars of FOCAP, which was founded in 1974 as a bulwark against tyranny and authoritarianism under Ferdinand Marcos.