Journalist Maria Ressa Convicted of Libel

Maria Ressa (Source: AP)

To many, Maria Ressa, the award-winning journalist at the center of a high profile legal battle in the Philippines, has become a symbol of the fight for press freedom in a country where journalists are under threat from President Rodrigo Duterte and his supporters. The 56-year-old has now been found guilty of "cyber-libel" and could face up to six years in prison (See Yahoo News for story).

Trump-Appointed Fil-Am Solicitor General to Resign

Noel Francisco

Noel Francisco, the U.S. government’s top advocate before the Supreme Court, Noel Francisco, who defended President Donald Trump’s policies, including the travel ban on people from mainly Muslim countries, is expected to resign, according to a person familiar with his plans (See Reuters.com for story).

Facebook Sees No Malicious Intent in Surge of Fake Accounts

A deluge of impostor accounts using the identities of students, journalists and government officials alarmed social media users and prompted an investigation by government agencies. Facebook saw no evidence of a sudden surge in the creation of accounts, but said reports on impersonation and fake accounts had spiked (See Reuters.com for story).

Despite the Odds Filipino Graduates from Harvard Law

Jose Angelo David

Jose Angelo David, or “Anjo” to his friends never imagined in his wildest dreams that he would ever study abroad, let alone at Harvard University, which he said was just so beyond his reach he “could only ever consider it fictional (See Esquiremag.ph for story).

Filipino Students Stand Out in US Universities

Samantha Abello, Rocio Lopez Puno, Rocco Lopez Puno

Filipino students have proven once again to be standout graduates in the world's leading universities. Siblings Rocio Lopez Puno and Rocco Lopez Puno pursued widely different academic paths but both obtained a degree at New York University (See Philstar.com for story).

U.P. Moves Up Among World's Top Universities

The University of the Philippines climbed 30 points in the newly released 2020 Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings, placing 65th this year out of 489 universities ranked. This represents a significant rise from last year’s 95th ranking (See UP.edu for story).

China Sea Issues Push PH U-Turn on Junking Pact with US

Security issues in the disputed South China Sea helped convince the Philippines to delay quitting a key US military pact, the nation's envoy to Washington said Wednesday (See Yahoo News for story).

PH Diplomat Who Questioned Marcos Family Spending Dies

Ruben Varias Reyes

Ruben Varias Reyes, a Philippine diplomat who left the foreign service after questioning extravagant purchases by the family of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, died on March 25 at St. Mary’s Hospital in London. He was 79. The cause was the coronavirus, said his daughter, Rachel A.G. Reyes (See New York Times for Story).