The journalist and her media, rapperfaced legal action by former Philippine government leader Rodrigo Duterte, who accused Ms. Ressa and her company of evading tax payments when they raised capital through partnerships with foreign investors.
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Ms. Ressa’s legal team argued that the companies in question did not generate taxable income under Philippine law.
The case began in 2018.
He BBC shared details of the ruling issued by the Philippine Court of Tax Appeals, noting that the judges found that the prosecutors had failed to prove Ms. Ressa’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and ultimately decided that Ms. Ressa and Rappler did not earned illegal income.
Ms. Ressa herself said: “Today, facts win, truth wins, justice wins.”
According to the BBC, the Nobel Prize winner went on to say: “These charges were politically motivated, unbelievable to us, a blatant abuse of power and intended to stop journalists from doing their jobs. These cases are where capital markets rule”. of the law and freedom of the press meet”.
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She would have faced a maximum sentence of 34 years in prison if convicted.
This is not the first time the Philippine government has attempted to shut down Rappler, which has long been critical of Duterte and his administration.
Ressa won the coveted Nobel Peace Prize in 2021. This award is given “for his [the winners’] efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace”.
What do you think about the dismissal of the tax evasion charges against Maria Ressa?
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