Maria Ressa, Nobel winning Philippines journalist, heralds victory for "truth" as she's acquitted of tax evasion

Manila — Philippine Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa was on Wednesday acquitted of tax evasion, among a slew of charges she has long maintained are politically motivated, calling the verdict a victory for "truth". Ressa, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov in 2021, still faces three other cases, including a cyber libel conviction now under appeal that could mean nearly seven years in prison.

"Today, facts win. Truth wins," a teary-eyed and defiant Ressa told reporters outside the Manila courtroom after the ruling on four government charges that she and her online media company Rappler had dodged taxes in a 2015 bond sale to foreign investors.

It was her first court acquittal since former president Rodrigo Duterte's government began filing charges against her. Ressa had earlier termed the cases "politically motivated" and "a brazen abuse of power."