De Lima, Sereno and Ressa were included in a 20-page report by UN special rapporteur Michel Frost about the situation of female "human rights defenders" in the Philippines. He claimed Sereno's removal as chief justice was "widely considered unconstitutional." Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said Frost's report was "highly misplaced" because it was "based on fake information supplied by partisan groups who are after political mileage." Ressa, meanwhile, did not pay correct taxes and published "libelous articles" against a private citizen, Panelo added. Sereno and Ms. Ressa are critics of the administration is of no moment and absolutely unrelated to the criminal charges they are facing," he added.

Source: Philippine Star February 19, 2019 13:22 UTC