Last 21 November, in accepting a Press Freedom Award from the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa gave a scathing attack on President Rody Duterte’s administration as having suppressed press freedom and that, in so many words, Rappler has become the torchbearer of journalism in the Philippines.

“Among the major projects of Rappler was a collaboration with The Intercept online journal to publish an alleged transcript of President Donald Trump’s private phone call with Rody.

In introducing Ressa, Sheila Coronel, Columbia University Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism director, depicted Rappler and its staff as being perpetually harassed.

“Trolls have threatened Maria with rape and death. Today, there is an armed guard outside the Rappler office and, when in Manila, Maria carries bail money in her purse, in case of arrest,” Coronel said.

“Rappler’s reporter has been banned from the presidential palace, but she continues to critically report on Duterte. Others have been cowed by threats. Not Rappler and not Maria,” she added.

Coronel and Ressa freely used the word “weaponized” in describing how technology and government influence were against Rappler, which both equated to a free press where none, they claim, existed in the country.

“Our problems are partly caused by yours: American social media technology platforms, once empowering, now weaponized against journalists, activists and citizens, spreading lies across borders and a president so much like ours whose attacks against the press (and women) give permission to autocrats (like ours) to unleash the dark side of humanity and extend their already vast powers with impunity, especially in countries where institutions have crumbled,” she went.

Ressa claimed just days ago that Rody had weaponized the law to intimidate her and Rappler.

It turned out that it was Coronel who worked hard for CPJ to hand Ressa the award apparently to further the efforts of what is now known as the well-funded Columbia connection to oust Rody.

The network from which the yellow Liberal Party (LP) draws much of its foreign support is being funded by New York-based Filipino-American billionaire Loida Nicolas Lewis through her sister Imelda Nicolas who is an alumna of Columbia University.

American billionaire George Soros, who is a supporter of the global liberal movement, is also known to finance the group.

Soros-owned North Base Media is one of Rappler’s major investors.

Coronel who is the sister of Noynoy’s peace negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, United Nations special rapporteur Agnes Callamard, CNN and Time reporter Rishi Iyengar, New York Times reporter Ainara Tiefenthäler and Forbes writer Panos Mourdoukoutas formed their circle of influence. The common denominator of all is Columbia University, where they either studied or taught in.

All have written articles that are critical of Rody. Callamard, of course, had insisted on conducting a probe on the war on drugs of Rody, but later backed off after Rody demanded a public debate on whatever her findings would be.

Rappler also has other moneyed backers. Among the major projects of Rappler was a collaboration with The Intercept online journal to publish an alleged transcript of President Donald Trump’s private phone call with Rody.

Rappler and Intercept are both directly tied to liberal billionaire eBay founder Pierre Omidyar.

Omidyar and Soros are intricately linked through their technology and media investments.

Omidyar’s nonprofit Omidyar Network funds the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) hosted by the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. IFCN has partnered with Facebook to help determine whether certain stories should be flagged as “disputed.”

Poynter’s IFCN is funded by Soros’ Open Society Foundations in which Omidyar Network is a partner on many projects, mostly involving liberal causes.

Rappler, in the same manner, is a Facebook “fact checker” in the Philippines, resulting in thousands of pro-Duterte accounts being deleted.

The Intercept published the transcript in which Trump reportedly told Rody that he was doing an “unbelievable job” in reducing his country’s drug problem and called Duterte a “good man.”

Parts of the transcript were also published by the Washington Post.

The Intercept reported that it collaborated with Rappler on the story.

The leaked conversation was extensively disseminated and spun to strengthen the analogy of Rody and Trump as both ruthless autocrats who have to be erased from the yellow liberal consciousness.