Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney to join int’l legal team representing Rappler’s Ressa

“Maria Ressa is a courageous journalist who is being persecuted for reporting the news and standing up to human rights abuses,” Clooney said when asked why she decided to represent the journalist. (File photo: amalclooneyofficial1/Instagram)

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney will be part of an international team of lawyers representing the chief executive officer (CEO) and executive editor of news outfit Rappler, according to Doughty Street Chambers on Tuesday, July 9.

In its press release, the London-based law firm announced that Clooney, who is also specializing in international law, will be working with other barristers Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC, Can Yeginsu, and Katherine O’Byrne. Their team will also be coordinating with counsels from United States (US) law firm Covington & Burling LLP and a domestic counsel in Manila.

“Maria Ressa is a courageous journalist who is being persecuted for reporting the news and standing up to human rights abuses,” Clooney said when asked why she decided to represent the journalist.

“We will pursue all available legal remedies to vindicate her rights and defend press freedom and the rule of law in the Philippines,” she added.

This was not the first time Clooney served as legal counsel of a journalist. She was also one of the lawyers that defended two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were convicted in Myanmar. The two were released last May 2019.

Ressa, as quoted as saying in the release, said she is “delighted” with the news that Clooney and her team “will be representing me at the international level to challenge the violations of my rights and those of the media organization I represent.”

‘Excited’

Reacting to this, Presidential Spokesperson and Chief Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said the lawyers are “welcome to defend Maria.”

He added that he is not threatened with Clooney joining Ressa’s legal team, instead, he is “excited to debate with her.”

“Kasi ‘pag kaming dalawa nagdedebate ni Maria medyo kawawa naman kasi hindi siya abogado. So kailangan may abogado rin siya, maganda pa, sexy pa (Because when Maria and I go on debate, I pity her because she is not a lawyer. So she needs a lawyer, not only beautiful but also sexy),” he told reporters in a press briefing also on Tuesday.

Clooney, the Palace official said, looks like she was “misinformed” regarding the legal challenges Ressa is facing.

“Mukhang nabola niya lang si (It seems like Ressa fooled) Atty. Amal,” Panelo said, adding, “Siguro kapag nagkita kami (Perhaps if we meet each other) I can, to use the words of the President, educate her.’

Ressa was already arrested twice this year. She was first nabbed in February over a cyber libel case and arrested again in March over a charge of violating the Anti-Dummy Law.