---
title: "Nobel laureate Maria Ressa acquitted in Philippine tax case"
description: "Philippines Nobel laureate Maria Ressa and her news site Rappler were acquitted of tax fraud by a trial court on Tuesday, in another legal victory for the embattled journalist."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "COURT VICTORY"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-09-12-nobel-laureate-ressa-acquitted-in-philippine-tax-case/"
published: "2023-09-12T03:20:47"
updated: "2023-09-12T08:45:26"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 259
---

# Nobel laureate Maria Ressa acquitted in Philippine tax case

> Philippines Nobel laureate Maria Ressa and her news site Rappler were acquitted of tax fraud by a trial court on Tuesday, in another legal victory for the embattled journalist.

By Reuters · Published 12 September 2023, 05:20 SAST · Updated 12 September 2023, 10:45 SAST

## Key points
- Ressa's acquittal on tax charges, following her Nobel Peace Prize win and conviction for cyber libel, shows the Philippines' media is still "extremely vibrant" despite the government's targeted attacks.
- Maria Ressa, head of Rappler, was acquitted of tax charges in the Philippines.
- She was previously convicted for cyber libel and is still on bail.
- The government has filed several cases against Rappler, which are seen as politically motivated.
- The Philippines ranks 132 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index.

## Content

Ressa, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 alongside a Russian journalist, is head of Rappler, which earned a reputation for its intense scrutiny of former President Rodrigo Duterte and his deadly war on drugs.

After the verdict was announced, Ressa told reporters she felt “good” about the court’s decision.

Her acquittal was expected after she was cleared of [similar tax charges](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AJ9N2YA02P&linkedFromStory=true) nine months ago.

Those charges stem from a 2018 government indictment that accuses Ressa and Rappler of dodging tax payments after failing to declare proceeds of a 2015 sale of depositary receipts to foreign investors.

**Read more in Daily Maverick:**[Nobel laureate Ressa cleared in Philippine tax case, cheers win for justice](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-01-18-nobel-laureate-ressa-cleared-in-philippine-tax-case-cheers-win-for-justice/)

Ressa (59) is currently on bail and was convicted in 2020 for [cyber libel](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AKBN23M03B&linkedFromStory=true) in one of several cases against the website filed by government agencies. She maintained those cases were politically motivated.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, who has been in office for 14 months, has said he would not interfere in the court cases against Rappler.

**Read more in Daily Maverick:**[Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa rails against social media disinformation in ‘How to Stand Up to a Dictator’](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-02-06-book-excerpt-nobel-prize-winner-maria-ressas-how-to-stand-up-to-a-dictator/)

Rappler is still operating unhindered pending its appeal against a closure order from the securities regulator.

The Philippines is ranked 132 out of 180 countries in the [World Press Freedom Index](https://rsf.org/en/country/philippines), describing its media as “extremely vibrant despite the government’s targeted attacks and constant harassment” against journalists who are “too critical”. **Reuters/DM**

*(Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by Martin Petty and Kanupriya Kapoor)*