Jakarta, IO – Maria Ressa, a Filipino journalist and Nobel Peace Prize awardee has been freed from four charges of tax evasion on Wednesday (18/1) after a long trial. The charges are part of several others levelled against her by the Phillipines government since 2018.
“The charges are politically motovated and an abuse of power, intended to silence journalists in doing their job. Today, the facts win. The truth wins,” said Ressa after being acquitted by the Manila court, reported Washington Post.
Ressa is also a CEO and executive editor of Rappler, a media company known to be critical toward the Duterte administration. The Phillippines government accused Rappler of violating the constitution which forbids foreign control on media company in the country. Even though Ressa has been freed from tax evasion charges she still has to face three other charges including defamation which carries a prison sentence of 7 years.
Read: CIA director warns Zelensky of Russian plot to kill him before the invasion, book says
When he was in power, Duterte was known to target Rappler due to its critical reportage of his policies especially his trademark “war on drug” which resulted in the death of thousands. The coverage prompted Duterte to ban all media from reporting from his office and filed defamation charges against anyone who dares to criticize him, including Ressa. (bp)