The Guardian view on the Philippines and Maria Ressa: an attack on democracy | Editorial

The conviction of the veteran journalist is a frightening indication of the country's direction under Rodrigo Duterte

The persecution of the courageous journalist Maria Ressa in the Philippines should not only horrify her compatriots and her counterparts elsewhere. The conviction of Ms Ressa and a former colleague for cyberlibel this week, which could see them serve up to six years in prison, is designed to chill the media. But it should reverberate throughout her nation and more widely, because it forms part of a broader assault on democracy.

Having overthrown dictatorship three decades ago, the Philippines is now regressing under its authoritarian but popular president, Rodrigo Duterte. His brutal war on drugs", with its thousands of extrajudicial killings, has been accompanied by a relentless campaign against those who have dared to challenge it or otherwise criticise him.