How did Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte react to journalist Maria Ressa winning the Nobel Peace Prize?
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s office on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, congratulated opposition journalist Maria Ressa for winning the Nobel Peace Prize, calling it “a victory for a Filipina.” The spokesperson did add, “There are individuals who feel Maria Ressa still has to clear her name before the courts.”
Who is Maria Ressa?
Maria Ressa of the Philipinnes and Dmitry Muratov from Russia received the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, announced on Oct. 8, 2021, “for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”
What’s Duterte’s feud with Ressa?
Ressa is a Filipino-American journalist and author, co-founder, and CEO of Rappler, a Philippine online news website. Rappler has been consistently critical of Duterte’s policies, especially his policies on the war on drugs. The website also wrote about the alleged pro-Duterte online “troll army,” which, according to their article, were pushing out fake news stories and manipulating the narrative around his presidency.