“These charges were a brazen abuse of power, political harassment against journalists trying to hold power to account,” said Ressa, who held back tears while speaking to reporters outside the court on Wednesday morning.
“Today, facts win,” she said. “Truth wins.”
Duterte frequently targeted Rappler for its critical coverage of his administration, which included reporting on his extrajudicial war on drugs that left thousands dead, many of whom were poor Filipinos.
Apart from the tax allegations, Duterte’s government filed three other cases against Ressa and Rappler, which are pending in Philippine courts. She is on bail as she appeals her 2020 conviction for cyber-libel. Rights groups have called for that conviction to be quashed.
Wednesday’s legal victory is the first handed to Ressa and Rappler since President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. took office last year. The son of a late dictator who ruled the Philippines for two decades, Marcos was powered to victory by a campaign that was rife with disinformation and trolling, and included the online harassment of journalists.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Jhesset O. Enano
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