By Dominique Simone Saraspi

Journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa was acquitted of tax evasion by the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA), on Wednesday, January 18, putting an end to a raft of legal hearings opposing the said veteran Filipino-American journalist. 

Chief Executive Officer and founder of the news site Rappler, Ressa was absolved of four counts of tax evasion filed by former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration in 2018, originating from the accusations by the state revenue agency that Rappler Holding Corporation (RHC) had “excluded” from its tax returns.

However, in the CTA’s 80-page decision, it stated that the respondents did not commit the alleged violations, saying that the civil liability in Ressa’s case cannot be awarded because “there is no act or omission punishable by law”. 

“Today, facts win. Truth wins. Justice wins,” Ressa said to reporters outside the Manila courtroom as she faced the media shortly following her acquittal. 

Ressa has been battling several legal cases in recent years and previously claimed that they were filed due to her news site’s disapproval and critical reports against former President Rodrigo Duterte and his brutal “war on drugs”. 

“So this acquittal— kahit na medyo matagal po— is not just for Rappler. It is for every Filipino who has ever been unjustly accused. It is also a ray of light, hope”, she said, also mentioning former senator Leila de Lima and journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, who were both detained under Duterte.

Despite the junking of four CTA cases, Rappler’s fight against the Securities and Exchange Commission’s closure order and three more active court cases filed against the latter are still ongoing. 

With this, Hold The Line — an advocacy group formed to support Maria Ressa — called for all ongoing cases against her and Rappler to be closed, stating that the latter has “maintained their innocence” and that they will “continue to hold the line in defense of press freedom in the Philippines”. 

Thumbnail from the Philippine Star