Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday, January 18 hailed the acquittal of journalist and Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa and her news outlet Rappler of tax evasion charges as a “win for free and defiant journalism in the Philippines.”
Hontiveros issued the statement after the first division of the Court of Tax Appeals acquitted Ressa and Rappler of four counts of tax evasion charges.
“I welcome and commend the decision of the Court of Tax Appeals First Division acquitting Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and Rappler Holdings Corp. of tax evasion charges,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“The dismissal of these trumped up cases is an important win for free and defiant journalism in the Philippines,” she said.
The senator said she hopes that the other charges against Ressa and Rappler would also be dropped.
“I hope that the other charges against Maria Ressa and Rappler will soon be similarly dropped, as these 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.
She said the ongoing campaign of harassment against Ressa and Rappler, as well as other independent and critical journalists, is only a waste of government funds, resources and attention.
“These vindictive efforts should end immediately,” she said.
“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 in fighting for a truly free and democratic nation. As always, courage on,” the lawmaker reiterated.