An award-winning journalist critical of the Philippine president has been convicted of libel and sentenced to jail in what critics called a major blow to press freedom in an Asian bastion of democracy.

A Manila court found Maria Ressa, of the online news site Rappler Inc, and former reporter Reynaldo Santos Jr guilty of libelling a wealthy businessman.

The Rappler’s story on May 29 2012 cited an intelligence report linking him to a murder, drug dealing, human trafficking and smuggling.