A court in the Philippines today acquitted journalist Maria Ressa and her news website Rappler of tax evasion.
Rappler reported that its holding company, RHC, and Ressa had been accused by the former Duterte government of evading tax payments when it raised capital through foreign investors. The court said prosecutors “failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt”.
In a statement after the verdict, Ressa, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, said, “Today, facts win. Truth wins. Justice wins. These charges were a brazen abuse of power, political harassment against journalists trying to hold power to account...So, this victory is not just for Rappler, it’s for every Filipino who has ever been unjustly accused.”
Ressa and Rappler have been embroiled in legal battles ever since the news website’s credentials were revoked in 2018. Rappler is one of the few news platforms in the Philippines that was critical of president Rodrigo Duterte, whose tenure ended last year. She had been arrested and released on bail in December 2018, and again in February 2019.
In June 2022, authorities ordered Rappler to shut down, to which Ressa said, “We will hold the line.”
Watch Ressa at The Media Rumble 2018 where she talked about taking on the Duterte government and speaking truth to power.
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