MANILA: Philippines Nobel laureate Maria Ressa was cleared on Tuesday of tax evasion following a five-year legal battle, hailing the verdict as a win for press freedom and voicing hope she will be cleared of other charges she insists are politically motivated.

The 59-year-old, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, has been fighting multiple charges filed during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.

Despite the acquittal, Ressa and Rappler, the news website she co-founded in 2012, face an uncertain future as they contest another two court cases.

A vocal critic of Duterte and his deadly drug war, Ressa has long maintained that the charges against her and Rappler were politically motivated.

“You gotta have faith,” a visibly relieved Ressa told reporters outside the court after the acquittal.”

“Guys, it’s up to us. We hold the line, and this proved that we can hold the line.” Ressa and Rappler had faced five government charges of tax evasion stemming from the 2015 issue of Philippine depositary receipts, used by companies to raise money from foreign investors.

A court acquitted them on four charges in January. The fifth was heard by a different court, which cleared her and Rappler of wrongdoing on Tuesday.

“Today, we celebrate the triumph of facts over politics,” Rappler said in a statement.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2023