NOBEL Laureate Maria Ressa and Rappler Holdings Corporation (RHC) were acquitted by a Pasig Regional Trial Court, over charges of tax evasion.
The latest court ruling now acquits both Ressa and RHC of all tax evasion charges that were slapped against them during the time of then president Rodrigo Duterte.The Pasig RTC cleared Ressa and RHC of the case involving their supposed failure to declare tax in 2015.Ressa's lawyer, Francis Lim, said that Pasig City RTC Branch 157 acquitted both her client and RHC of violation of Section 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code .
It will be recalled that in November 2018, the Duterte Administration had accused Ressa of failing to declare 'correct and accurate' information, with regards to their quarterly sales receipts, with the issuance and sale of RHC of their Philippine Depositary Receipts worth P2.45 million.According to the accusation, it resulted in a value-added tax deficiency of P294,258.58.It is said to have not included the surcharge and interest, to the damage of the government.