CTA affirms Ressa's acquittal in tax case

The Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) has affirmed its 2023 decision, upholding the acquittal of Maria Ressa and Rappler Holdings Corporation (RHC) in four tax-related charges on February 21.

In a full court decision made public this week, the CTA denied the government's petition for review and certiorari seeking to overturn the earlier ruling that cleared Ressa and RHC of the charges.

The en banc decision, penned by Associate Justice Corazon G. Ferrer-Flores, reiterated the First Division’s ruling that RHC is not a dealer in securities and thus did not commit tax evasion as claimed by the Duterte administration.

The CTA emphasized that RHC issued Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs) to raise capital for its subsidiary, Rappler Inc., and this activity does not constitute a taxable transaction under the National Internal Revenue Code.

With all tax-related cases filed under the Duterte administration now resolved in their favor, Ressa and RHC have been cleared of all such charges.