Ressa’s acquittal raps a ‘win for free, defiant journalism’

The acquittal of journalist and Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa of tax evasion charges is an "important win" for the Philippines' press, Senator Risa Hontiveros said today.

The first division of the Court of Tax Appeals acquitted Ressa and her news outlet Rappler of four counts of tax evasion charges.

"The dismissal of these trumped-up cases is an important win for free and defiant journalism in the Philippines," Hontiveros said in a statement, reports Philippine Daily Inquirer.

"In a democracy, truth-telling and sharing independent views is not a crime – even if it irks and annoys the powers that be. I am one with our nation's free press in continuing to hold the line and fighting for a truly free and democratic nation. As always, courage on," she went on.

Hontiveros hoped other charges against Ressa and Rappler would likewise be junked soon.

"These [charges] were only intended to silence and intimidate members of the media from reporting on and speaking against the excesses of the previous administration, particularly on the bloody, abusive, and failed war on drugs," she said.

The continuing harassment against journalists, the opposition senator said, "only wastes government funds, resources, and attention."

"These vindictive efforts should end immediately," said Hontiveros.

The Department of Justice lodged the tax evasion case in 2018 over Rappler and Ressa's failure to declare a P162.41-million profit from the issuance of Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs) in 2015.

Meanwhile, WAN-IFRA (World Association of News Publishers), an organisation made-up of many national newspaper associations and news agencies around the world, welcomed the acquittals, the association reports.

In a statement, WAN-IFRA also challenged the Marcos government to go further by withdrawing the remaining cases against Rappler and Maria Ressa.

"We are hugely relieved for Rappler and Maria, who should never have been confronted by these charges in the first place," reads the statement from WAN-IFRA.

"The legal harassment, false accusations, intimidation, and intense pressure must now completely stop. The tactics pursued by the former administration – against Rappler and other independent media – have eroded trust in the government's commitment to a free press. It is time to rebuild this, and while these acquittals are a positive step, President Marcos Jr. can do significantly more to ensure the persecution ends and Rappler, Maria Ressa, and independent media across the Philippines can once again have confidence in a system that has been against them for so long," the statement further reads.