Nobel laureate Maria Ressa acquitted in Philippines tax evasion case

Maria Ressa, Nobel prize winner and co-founder of the online news platform Rappler, has been acquitted of a tax evasion charge in the Philippines on Monday.

This is another feat in her legal fight against a number of charges that were filed under the government of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

“You gotta have faith,” she said outside the court.

Ressa and Rappler have been hindered by five government charges of tax evasion after the sale of Philippine depositary receipts in 2015 — a route for companies to raise money from foreign investors.

In January, they were acquitted on the other four charges.

However, Maria Ressa and Rappler have two more court cases to fight.

Ressa and Rey Santos Jr, a former colleague, have appealed for a cyber-libel conviction that carries a nearly seven-year jail sentence.

Similarly, Rappler is challenging a Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission order to close for allegedly violating a ban on foreign ownership in media. Under the country’s constitution, investment in the media is reserved for Philippine citizens or entities controlled by citizens.

“It shows that the court system works and we hope to see the remaining charges dismissed,” she said.
Ressa won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 alongside Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov in recognition of their efforts to “safeguard freedom of expression“.

Ressa is also an American national but has remained in the Philippines and is currently on bail pending the appeal against the cyber-libel conviction.

Maria Ressa was awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize along with Dmitry Muratov for “their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”