Filipino Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa and her online news site Rappler were acquitted of tax evasion charges on Wednesday, and the journalist congratulated herself once “truth prevails”.
Ms Ressa, co-winner of the prestigious 2021 Nobel Peace Prize along with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, faces three other criminal charges, including a cybercrime conviction, which is currently under appeal and faces nearly seven years in prison.
The 59-year-old veteran journalist, who also holds US citizenship, was one of the most vocal critics of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who ruled from 2016 to 2022, and his violent methods in the war on drugs that have caused thousands of deaths.
“Today the facts prevail. Truth prevails,” Ms. Ressa defiantly told reporters after the Manila Court of Appeals ruling.
The former CNN journalist and site she co-founded, Rappler, was accused of making false statements on a tax return following a 2015 sale of bonds to foreign investors.
“These charges were politically motivated,” Ms Ressa said on Wednesday. “We were able to prove that Rappler is not a tax evader.”
The journalist has been fighting for a prison sentence for years. According to human rights organizations, the lawsuits against them are emblematic of the harassment of the independent press in the country.
” Hope “
Ms. Ressa and Mr. Muratov were honored by the Nobel Committee in October 2021 for their fight to “protect freedom of expression”.
Asked Wednesday about the significance of the appeals court’s decision, Ms Ressa replied: “Hope. That’s what it offers.”
Despite this verdict, the future of Rappler, who was born a decade ago, remains uncertain.
He is still fighting an order from the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission. In June, just days before the end of Mr. Duterte’s presidency, he ordered the site shut down for violating “constitutional and legal restrictions on foreign property in the media.”
The news agency, which remains active, is accused of allowing outsiders to take control of its website by issuing “certificates of deposit” through its parent company, Rappler Holdings.
According to the constitution, media investments are limited to Filipinos or Filipino-controlled companies.
The allegation stems from a 2015 investment in Rappler by an American company, Omidyar Network, founded by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar.
In September, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said he would not interfere in Ms Ressa’s affairs, citing the separation of powers.
In October, a few months after taking office, Ms Ressa was convicted of online defamation.