Daily Tribune
Philippine journalist and Nobel laureate Maria Ressa speaks during an interview with AFP in Manila on September 12, 2023. Ressa was cleared on September 12 of tax evasion following a five-year legal battle, hailing the verdict as a win for press freedom and voicing hope she will be cleared of other charges she insists are politically motivated. (Photo by JAM STA ROSA / AFP)
Photo by JAM STA ROSA / AFP
The Rotary Club of Makati San Lorenzo honored award-winning journalist Maria Ressa with the 2025 Rotary Peace Laureate Award on Tuesday, 11 March, in Makati City, recognizing her relentless fight for press freedom and social justice.
Held during Women's Month, the ceremony gathered prominent Rotary members, including Club President Charlotte Cruz and past laureate Conchita Carpio-Morales.
“In 2017, pro-Duterte and pro-Marcos networks in Facebook trended #ArrestMariaRessa. And then, I was arrested 2 years later. The day before Valentines, that was the day the world turned upside down for me," Ressa recalled in her speech.
Ressa now joins a distinguished list of honorees, including former President Corazon Aquino, who was recognized in 1999 for restoring democracy in the Philippines.
