The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday it is concerned about court verdicts against two journalists in the Philippines and called for the case against them to be resolved in ways that reinforced a shared commitment to freedom of expression. Veteran Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, a dual U.S.-Filipino citizen whose website has put President Rodrigo Duterte under tough scrutiny, was convicted of libel on Monday and faces up to six years in jail, in a ruling widely seen as a blow to media freedom. Reynaldo Santos, a former Rappler researcher and writer, was also found guilty in the case.
