CTA upholds acquittal of Ressa, Rappler in fifth tax case

 

The Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) has affirmed the acquittal of Nobel laureate Maria Ressa and her online news organization, Rappler Holdings Corp

In a 17-page decision promulgated on July 16, the appellate tax court denied the petition for review filed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) in December 2023, which challenged the acquittal of Ressa and RHC by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 157.

"No grave abuse of discretion may be attributed to a court simply because of its alleged misapplication of facts and evidence, and erroneous conclusions based on said eviden~e. Certiorari will issue only to correct errors of jurisdiction, and not errors or mistakes in the findings and conclusions of thle trial court." -CTA

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In January 2023, the CTA also acquitted Ressa and RHC of four out of the five tax-related charges, as the prosecution failed to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The tax evasion charges stemmed from a 2015 sale of Philippine Depositary Receipts to foreign investors, a method companies use to raise money.

The series of tax cases against Ressa was among the legal hurdles she has faced since the tenure of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who has consistently expressed his anger towards the journalist and her media company.

Read the full Decision here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IUpF5aynxXDURePsqu4wsIsBDjmcHw3V/view?usp=drivesdk