You can't negotiate peace if you don't agree on the facts

INTERVIEW MARIA RESSA, CEO, Rappler

- RIYAD MATHEW

You are the first Filipino to win a Nobel Peace Prize. What does this mean for your country? Usually, a journalist winning such an honour would indicate that something is wrong in the country.

A/ Well, for us, it’s been a very tough few years since 2016 (when Rodrigo Duterte became president). [I’ve] had ten arrest warrants in less than two years. I’ve fought cases; we’ve fought getting shut down.... It was incredible to realise that we weren’t alone, and for that I profusely thank the Nobel committee. I think one of the things it accomplished in the Philippines was that it united Filipino journalists.

Beyond that, this was an acknowledgement globally for all journalists [of] how difficult it has been to do our jobs. The last time a journalist had been given the Nobel Peace Prize was in 1936 (the 1935 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded in 1936), and he languished in a Nazi concentration camp. The Nobel committee looked at the world and I think they’re saying we’re at the precipice of something like 1936. What happened after that? World War II. And after World War II, the world came together to create a new world, to prevent the worst of human nature from ruling us.

[After the Nobel Prize announcement] what the [Duterte] government did was radio silence, I guess stunned silence. [Three days later,] we had a strange statement that kind of goes against your question. The government said, “We congratulate Maria Ressa, the first Filipino to win the Nobel Prize. It proves press freedom exists in the Philippines.”

Q/ You said in an interview that you are idealistic. Most journalists are, when they start out. What are the challenges you have had to go through to hold on to your ideals?