Nobel Laureate and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa acquitted of tax evasion
Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa and online news site Rappler, for which she serves as chief executive officer, were cleared of tax evasion charges by The Court of Tax Appeals on Wednesday, January 18.
Ressa has characterized the case as a part of a pattern of harassment by the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte to stifle critical reporting.
A conviction would have sent to prison for 34 years.
“Today, facts win. Truth wins. Justice wins,” an emotional Ressa said after Wednesday’s ruling.
“These charges as you know were politically motivated, they were a brazen abuse of power and meant to stop journalists from doing their jobs,” she told reporters.
“These cases are where capital markets, where rule of law, where press freedom meet. So this acquittal is not just for Rappler. It is for every Filipino who has ever been unjustly accused.”
Ressa shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov. She is CEA of Rappler, which is known for its in-depth reporting and incisive examination of Duterte’s “war on drugs.” Official statistics show that more than 6,200 individuals died in police anti-drug operations, but human rights organizations believe that the number of fatalities was much higher.
The International Criminal Court opened an inquiry into the drug killings as a possible crime against humanity.
Press freedom supporters claim that since then, Ressa and Rappler have been subjected to a relentless string of criminal accusations, investigations, and internet attacks.
The state revenue department said that Rappler had hidden from its tax reports the proceeds of a 2015 sale of depositary receipts to overseas investors, which gave rise to the tax evasion prosecution. Later, the securities regulator used this as justification to revoke the news outlet’s license.
Rappler continues to be operational and resists the Securities and Exchange Commission’s directive to shut it down.
Ressa, aged 59, is still facing three other criminal charges, including a conviction for cyber-libel that is now on appeal and could result in a sentence of over seven years in prison.
Amnesty International applauded the decision on Wednesday and urged the authorities to dismiss the other cases.
The rights organization suggested that Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reconsider the legal framework under which she had been accused by his predecessor.
News of Ressa’s acquittal was met with jubilation all over social media and is seen as a victory for press freedom and the rule of law.
