Maria Victoria Beltran was one of the 17 recipients of 2020 Deutsche Welle (DW) Freedom of Speech Award. “On April 19, Cebu-based artist Maria Victoria Beltran was jailed for a satirical Facebook post she had published in relation to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Cebu City. The mayor called her post ‘fake news and a criminal act’ and threatened Beltran with imprisonment,” said DW in its statement. Beltran was arrested by the police past 2 a.m. of April 19, inside her restaurant, Kukuk’s Nest, in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City. We are now the epicenter in the whole Solar System,” her Facebook post read.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 08, 2020 20:35 UTC