“ONLINE violence is real world violence. Social media is a deadly game for power and money. Lies laced with anger and hate spread faster and further than facts on social media.”
Thus declared Rappler CEO Maria Ressa during her lecture as Nobel Peace Prize laureate on December 10, 2021 at the Oslo City Hall in Norway.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2021 was awarded jointly to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov “for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.” The footages on Ressa’s lecture form part of the documentary film “And So It Begins” by Ramona Diaz.
I met Ressa personally after watching the film’s Philippine premiere on August 9, 2024 at Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque City during the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.
The Nobel Prize website further described Ressa “as an investigative journalist, she has distinguished herself as a fearless defender of freedom of expression and has exposed the abuse of power, use of violence and increasing authoritarianism of the regime of President Rodrigo Duterte. In particular, Ressa has focused critical attention on President Duterte’s controversial, murderous anti-drug campaign. She and Rappler have also documented how social media are being used to spread fake news, harass opponents and manipulate public discourse.”
Since its establishment in 1901, the prize has been awarded 609 times to 975 people and 27 organizations for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, literature and for work in peace.
“And So It Begins” is a documentary with a runtime of 113 minutes that delves into the political landscape of the Philippines in the buildup to the 2022 presidential election, which saw former Vice President Leni Robredo and her grassroots “pink” movement go up against the machinery of eventual victor Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
With the campaign tagline “Gobyernong Tapat, Angat Buhay Lahat,” Robredo’s supporters adopted the moniker “kakampink,” a portmanteau of kakampi, which is Filipino for “ally,” and “pink.” According to Robredo, pink is “the color of a personality that is open, listening, and loving.”
Out of the 56 million voters participating, Marcos received 31,629,783 votes while Robredo received 15,035,773.
The film highlights Ressa in the fight for press freedom and the fight against disinformation, a subject that Diaz also tackled in an earlier “A Thousand Cuts” documentary.
In 2012, Ressa co-founded the online news site Rappler, merging “rap” meaning to talk and “ripples,” to make waves.
“I stand before you, a representative of every journalist around the world who is forced to sacrifice so much to hold the line, to stay true to our values and mission: to bring you the truth and hold power to account,” Ressa said in her acceptance speech.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte has targeted Rappler because of its critical reporting and detailed investigations into some of the thousands of extrajudicial executions of poor and marginalized people committed by police and other unknown armed persons during “war on drugs” operations.
A wave of divisive rhetoric and digital disinformation plagued Duterte’s term wherein independent journalists and opposition politicians have been targeted by systematic campaigns of online harassment.
Ressa and Rappler have faced numerous legal cases ranging from cyber-libel, tax evasion, to foreign ownership violations. Duterte and his supporters have accused her of peddling fake news through her website Rappler.
In a decision dated July 23, 2024, the Court of Appeals voided a 2018 shutdown order against Rappler by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and ordered the restoration of the news organization’s certificate of incorporation.
The decision noted that “the facts show that Rappler Holdings, and by extension Rappler, are currently wholly owned and managed by Filipinos, in compliance with the Constitutional mandate.”
The decision was announced during the Philippine premiere on August 9, 2024.
Ressa responded to a question during the Philippine premiere about the change she hopes to inspire in the future generation of voters: “As everything is broken, the youth must demand better—and this starts with inspiration.”
“Inspiration spreads as fast as anger. It’s so easy to tear something down. It is so much harder to build. And your generation, the youth today, must build. We’ll help you. But, your energy is different. So, that’s the first step. Don’t become cynical. That is the path that you’re on now,” Ressa added.
The Angat Buhay Foundation was organized shortly after Robredo lost in the 2022 election as a non-governmental organization focused on grassroots organizing: “The greatest asset of the Philippines is its people. We are passionate and resilient. We have gone through many difficulties, but we have always managed to shine.”
“And So It Begins” commenced its regular screening in chosen theaters across the country on August 21, 2024.
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Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the Seafarers’ Division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan Law Offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 0917-5025808 or 0908-8665786./PN
