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Malacanang said on Wednesday cases against news online Rappler and its CEO Maria Ressa was not about curtailment of press freedom.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the remarks after Ressa was named as one of "The Guardians" by Time Magazine "for taking great risks in pursuit of greater truths, for the imperfect but essential quest for facts, for speaking up and for speaking out."

"With respect to the awardee Ressa, that’s the call of the awarding organization. It has its basis of awarding certain people. Certainly, we cannot intrude into that. It’s not our turf," he said in a press briefing.

Asked of the state of press freedom in the Philippines, Panelo said, "Obviously, since there are still critics attacking the administration, criticizing the administration, the freedom of expression in this country is robust one. Nobody has been prosecuted for criticizing the administration."

He said the charges filed against Ressa and her company has nothing to do with press freedom.

"Those who have been charged are in connection not with their freedom of expression, but for commission of crimes, which the court had found probable cause that is precisely they are now being tried," Panelo, also chief presidential legal counsel, said.

Rappler Holdings Corporation, the holding company of Rappler Inc., owner of Rappler news website, and Ressa have been facing five separate tax evasion cases before the Court of Tax Appeals and the Pasig City Regional Trial Court. Celerina Monte/DMS