A court on Wednesday acquitted Philippine Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa and her media outlet Rappler of tax evasion charges. Ressa, who had pleaded not guilty, while speaking to reporters outside the court in Manilla said, “Today, facts win, truth wins, justice wins.” She claimed these charges were politically motivated, Reuters reported.
Following the verdict, the 59-year-old Fillipino-American journalist described the ruling as a win for justice and truth, and said, “this acquittal is not just for Rappler it is for every Filipino who has ever been unjustly accused.” She added, “these charges… were politically motivated… a brazen abuse of power.”
The tax evasion case was filed following accusations by the state revenue agency, which claimed that Rappler, from its tax returns proceeds of 2015 omitted the sale of depository receipts to foreign investors. This further became the base for revoking the media outlet’s licence.
Ressa has been engulfed in legal battles for years and she claimed that she had been targeted for her critical news reports on Duterte. These cases have stoked international concerns over media harassment in the Philippines, which is touted as one of the most dangerous places for journalists in Asia.
The veteran journalist is currently on bail as she appeals a six-year prison sentence handed down in 2020 over a libel conviction.
The Asian country stands at 147th place out of 180 countries as per the 2022 World Press Freedom Index, and the Committee to Protect Journalists ranks the Philippines seventh in 2021 in its impunity index.
(With inputs from agencies)
