MANILA – An official of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) denied that their agent intimidated a Rappler staff trying to cover the arrest of company chief executive officer and executive editor Maria Ressa for a cyber libel case.
In a live streamed media briefing, NBI Cybercrime Division chief Victor Lorenzo said there was no reason for the warrant serving party to stop Rappler reporters from recording the event at the news site’s headquarters.
“May sinasabi pa nga, pinahinto namin ‘yung pagkuha ng video pero hindi eh, kasi nga makikita mo naka-livestream nga siya, di ba, naka-live feed. So wala talagang effort na gano’n, walang logic, bakit naman namin gagawin ‘yun?” he said.
“Walang purpose eh, saka bakit mo ii-intimidate,” he added.
A Rappler reporter, Aika Rey, posted a video on Facebook where an unidentified man could be heard requesting her to stop recording. When she refused and asked for an explanation, she was told “Because I’m saying so.”
When she did not relent, the man supposedly started filming her as well. Rey could be heard pushing for an explanation and was eventually told: “We’re just doing our job. Our face shouldn’t be posted anywhere else. That’s basically our weapon, our identity. You get that?”
Rey said it would have been easier if she had been told sooner. At the end of the video, the man said: “Can you stop doing what you’re doing now? Is it okay? Oh great and tell the same message to your colleague. Because definitely if we see our faces on the net, you’ll be sorry. You’ve been warned. We’ll go after you.”
The Department of Justice wants to investigate the allegations and find out if the operatives who served the arrest warrant violated rules, Justice Undersecretary and department spokesman Markk Perete told CNN-Philippines.
Similarly, Ressa’s lawyer, JJ Disini, said they would have to study the incident closely before deciding what action to take.
“Obviously from the standpoint of the Rappler reporter, the taking of that video is an exercise of the freedom of the press,” he told reporters.
At the same time, they would have to study if there were security issues on the part of the NBI, such as a need to conceal agents’ identity for them to avoid getting implicated in future undercover operations, he said.
Earlier, Justice secretary Menardo Guevarra said it is “not illegal” to record arrests, “unless the media interferes with the orderly conduct” of the operation.
Ressa was released from NBI custody after posting a P100,000 bail before a Manila judge on Thursday. Her arraignment was scheduled for March 1. (GMA News/PN)
