Maria Ressa, a Nobel prize winner and co-founder of the online news site Rappler, has been acquitted of a tax evasion charge in the Philippines, another legal victory in her battle against multiple charges filed during the government of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Ressa, a fierce Duterte critic, smiled as the judge delivered the verdict
She has long maintained the cases against her and Rappler, which she co-founded in 2012, were politically motivated.
“You gotta have faith,” the 59-year-old told reporters outside the court.
Ressa and Rappler had faced five government charges of tax evasion stemming from the 2015 sale of Philippine depositary receipts, which is a way for 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.
