I get solidarity. But we can stand in solidarity with #Ressa without forgetting that she has NEVER stood for nation, that she has fashioned herself as "hero" of PH democracy without acknowledging the thousands who have suffered in the hands of this leadership. (thread)

Democracy was dying LONG BEFORE #Duterte started attacking #Rappler. It was in every farmer who has been killed in the name of landlords, every Lumad forced to leave their ancestral lands because of militarization, every drug suspect who was killed because "nanlaban." (thread)

Democracy died every time we turned a blind eye to #Duterte propaganda that called progressive groups terrorist, that skewed the law and sold the idea that it is illegal for our nationalist partylist groups, for our teachers, our nuns, our feminists, our farmers to be Leftist.

Democracy was dying when #Duterte bullied the Prietos into giving up their Inquirer shares. When he namecalled and bullied the Ayalas and Pangilnan, because he had his own oligarchs to push forward. When he decided #ABSCBN was enemy and will NEVER get their franchise.

This is not to say that Rappler has not been attacked by Duterte. This is to point out that when you are charged by a violent abusive government, you FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL TO WIN AGAINST IT. Unless of course you yourself would rather be found guilty, because "heroism."

Sure, #Duterte and his propagandists have calculated and strategized all these moves against us. But #Ressa has the cash to travel the world and do her own PR blitz—she doesn't need us.

It would do us well to focus on the real death blow to democracy: the Anti-Terror Bill.