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In the Philippines, award-winning journalist Maria Ressa and her online news site, Rappler, have been cleared of tax evasion charges.
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Ressa drew a massive media frenzy as she arrived at the Court of Tax Appeals.
It ruled that prosecutors had failed to prove that she and her online news site, Rappler, evaded tax payments after raising capital through partnerships with two foreign investors.
Emotions ran high as a tearful Ressa declared her acquittal a triumph.
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MARIA RESSA, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Head of Rappler Inc.:
Today, facts win, truth wins, justice wins.
The charges, as you know, were politically motivated. They were incredible to us.
A brazen abuse of power and meant to stop journalists from doing their jobs.
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Known for its critical reporting, Rappler aggressively scrutinised former President Rodrigo Duterte's administration and its deadly war on drugs.
Ressa won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize alongside a Russian journalist for safeguarding freedom of expression.
The tax case dates back to 2018 when Philippine authorities accused Rappler of hiding gains from foreign investors in its 2015 tax returns.
Authorities later revoked Rappler's licence.
It was Ressa's first acquittal in a battery of government lawsuits against her and Rappler.
The Philippine Justice Department says it respects the court's decision.
Media watchdogs and human rights groups lauded today's decision, calling it a victory for press freedom in the Philippines.
The 59-year-old Ressa is currently on bail as she appeals her 6-year prison sentence for a libel conviction filed by businessman Wilfredo Keng.
She insists the checks and balances between journalism and government are needed.
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I expect institutions to function. I expect the people we elect to strengthen the institutions because if they gut the institutions, it is bad not only for Filipinos but for their children, for the future generations of Filipinos.
We need independent media that will hold power to account.
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