Nobel laureate Maria Ressa cleared by court in Philippine tax case

Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa speaks to the media after she was acquitted of the tax evasion cases in Quezon City Wednesday. Pic/AFP

Philippine Nobel laureate Maria Ressa and her news site Rappler were acquitted by a court of tax evasion charges on Wednesday, in a ruling that media watchdogs and human rights groups described as a win for press freedom and rule of law. Ressa, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize alongside a Russian journalist in 2021, is head of Rappler, which earned a reputation for its in-depth reporting and tough scrutiny of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his deadly war on drugs.

"This acquittal is not just for Rappler it is for every Filipino who has ever been unjustly accused," Ressa said after the verdict, describing it as a win for justice and the truth. "These charges... were politically motivated... A brazen abuse of power," she said, while fighting back tears.

The tax evasion case stemmed from accusations by the state revenue agency that Rappler had omitted from its tax returns the proceeds of a 2015 sale of depositary receipts to foreign investors, which later became the securities regulator's basis to revoke its licence. The tax court said in its ruling it acquitted Ressa and Rappler because of the prosecution's failure to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

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