Rappler’s Ressa posts P60k bail after voluntary surrender

Maria Ressa — INQUIRER/JOAN BONDOC

Rappler chief executive officer and executive editor Maria Ressa on Monday posted bail amounting to P60,000 for her temporary liberty after a Pasig City court ordered her arrest for tax evasion.

A written order issued by Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) 265 stated Ressa posted bail after she “surrendered voluntarily” before the court for violating Section 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) of 1997 or failure to file a return.

Ressa and Rappler are facing five tax evasion cases filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ). Four of the cases were filed before the Court of Tax Appeals and the other one was filed at the Pasig City RTC.

Based on the complaint, Ressa and Rappler Holdings Corp. failed to indicate in the company’s 2015 tax returns the total gain of almost P162.5 million from its issuance of Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs) to Washington DC-based NBM Rappler LP, a unit of North Base Media and Omidyar Network Find LLC.

On Wednesday night, Ressa arrived in the country amid her looming arrest.

She maintained the cases filed against her and Rappler have no basis.

“We have multiple cases and we will continue to fight every one of these cases, each of these cases has no real basis,” she told reporters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.

“I’m personally under attack. Rappler as a company is under attack. I think we all know that the line has been moved,” she added.