News Roundup 18 January 2023
Joseph Guerrero in News and Updates
Jan 18, 2023 • 4 min Read
Rappler, Maria Ressa acquitted of tax evasion charge | INQUIRER.NET – The Court of Tax Appeals on Wednesday has acquitted Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa and Rappler Holdings Corporation (RHC) of four counts of tax evasion.
In a decision by its First Division, the Tax Court ruled in favor of acquittal for “failure of the prosecution to prove the guilt beyond reasonable doubt” on three counts of violation of Section 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) for willful failure to supply the correct information and one count of violation of Section 254 for an attempt to evade tax.
The case was filed in 2018 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) over the failure of Ressa and Rappler to declare P162.41 million profit from the issuance of Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs) in 2015.
PDRs are financial instruments used by some entities to receive foreign investment without violating the constitutional requirement of full Filipino ownership.
The CTA said the transactions of RHC mentioned in the case “cannot be considered as regularly or frequently engaged in the purchase of securities and resale thereof to customers.”
Citing the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) opinions, the Tax Court said “it is not repugnant to the nature of a holding company to engage in financial activities to raise capital for its subsidiaries. In fact, RHC is registered with the BIR as an entity engaged in the Line of Business-‘Financial Holding Company Activities’.”
Full Story at: Rappler, Maria Ressa acquitted of tax evasion charge | Inquirer News
Rappler celebrates acquittal from tax cases: ‘Triumph of facts over politics’ | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Rappler and its co-founder Maira Ressa on Wednesday lauded their acquittal from tax evasion cases as a “triumph of facts over politics.”
The digital-only news site maintained that the charges lodged against the company and Ressa were “fraudulent, false, and flimsy” as they “do not have any basis in fact.”
The Philippine Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) has acquitted Ressa and Rappler Holdings Corp. (RHC) of four counts of tax evasion. Its First Division ruled in favor of the accused as the prosecution failed to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
“We thank the court for this just decision and for recognizing that the fraudulent, false, and flimsy charges made by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) do not have any basis in fact,” Rappler said in a statement posted on its social media page. “An adverse decision would have far-reaching repercussions on both the press and the capital markets.”
Full Story at: Rappler celebrates acquittal from tax cases: ‘Triumph of facts over politics’ | Inquirer News
Preliminary probe vs Bantag to continue as prosecution panel junks motion to inhibit | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice has dismissed suspended Corrections chief Gerald Bantag’s motion to inhibit the department itself and the panel of prosecutors handling the murder cases he is facing over the killings of radio broadcaster Percy Lapid and alleged middleman, inmate Jun Villamor.
“Wherefore, premises considered, the instant motion is hereby denied for lack of merit,” the order dated January 17 and signed by the prosecution panel reads.
With this, the preliminary investigation into complaints against Bantag and his co-respondents will continue on January 24 with their submission of counter-affidavits.
Bantag has accused Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla of “manifest partiality and bias” against him and claimed that an impartial preliminary investigation by DOJ prosecutors cannot be expected.
The suspended corrections chief also questioned the jurisdiction of the panel of prosecutors to conduct the preliminary investigation and argued that it should have been under the Office of the Ombudsman, since he serves as an undersecretary with Salary Grade 30.
Full Story at: Preliminary probe vs Bantag to continue as prosecution panel junks motion to inhibit | Philstar.com
CHR condemns abduction of Cebu development workers, launches investigation | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights on Wednesday condemned the apparent abduction of Cebu-based development workers as the commission stressed that enforced disappearance is a grave human rights violation.
In a statement, the CHR said it is investigating the abduction of Arman Dayoha and Dyan Gumanao. Dayoha is the coordinator of the Alliance of Health Workers in Cebu, while Gumanao is a volunteer coordinator of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers in Central Visayas.
A video first published by publication Tug-ani showed men in plainclothes shoving the two activists into a vehicle at the Cebu City port, while people in the area were heard asking for help. The men supposedly introduced themselves as policemen.
Full Story at: CHR condemns abduction of Cebu development workers, launches investigation | Philstar.com
