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CTA to proceed with P70-million tax deficiency cases vs Ressa, Rappler

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Adrian Ayalin, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/news/02/15/20190215_maria-ressa-gc_000_6778-(1).jpg"/><figcaption>Veteran journalist and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa poses for photographs after her interview with Karen Davila for Headstart in Makati, February 15, 2019. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - The Court of Tax Appeals 1st Division has denied the appeal of Rappler Holdings Corp. and its CEO Maria Ressa to have her P70-million tax deficiency cases sent back to the Department of Justice (DOJ).The tax appellate court said in a recent resolution that the language and wording of the 4 informations against Ressa were sufficient to constitute the crimes charged under Sections 254 and 255 of the 1997 National Internal Revenue Code.“The Supreme Court has ruled that an information need only to state the ultimate facts constituting the offense and not the finer details of why and how the crime was committed,” the court said in the resolution signed by Presiding Justice Roman Del Rosario and Associate Justices Esperanza Fabon-Victorino and Catherine Manahan. The resolution was promulgated Feb. 7 and Ressa’s lawyers received a copy on Feb. 12, a day before her <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/13/19/authorities-serve-arrest-warrant-vs-maria-ressa">arrest </a>by the National Bureau of Investigation over her cyber libel indictment. She has slammed her arrest as a violation of her rights and an attempt to silence Rappler&#x27;s critical reporting on the administration. Ressa is facing three counts of violation of Section 255 or failure to file return, supply correct information and pay and remit taxes, and one count of violation of Section 254 or tax evasion before the CTA.The cases involve <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/29/18/doj-files-5-tax-evasion-cases-vs-rappler-holdings-maria-ressa">tax deficiencies</a> amounting to P13.082 million, P48.723 million and P8.422 million, or a total of P70.227 million in 2015 when Rappler sold Philippine Depositary Receipts to NBM Rappler L.P. and Omidyar Network Fund LLC.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/11/18/rappler-chief-maria-ressa-posts-p204000-bail-for-tax-cases-at-cta">Rappler chief Maria Ressa posts P204,000 bail for tax cases at CTA</a></li></ul>The CTA also said that the issue on whether Rappler is a dealer in securities, as alleged by the DOJ and denied by the company, is a matter to be discussed during trial proper.“The issue of whether or not the accused is considered a &#x27;dealer in securities&#x27; is a matter which can be ventilated by the presentation of evidence during trial,” the court said. The CTA also noted that Rappler&#x27;s argument for the remanding of the case back to the DOJ over a pending motion for reconsideration against its indictment is already moot as the motion has already been denied.The court also noted that the related administrative case of Rappler before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court should not bar the CTA from proceeding with the case.With the denial of the appeal of Rappler and Ressa, the court set the preliminary conference on March 6 for the marking of exhibits of both the prosecution and defense, while pre-trial is set on March 13.Apart from lawsuits, Rappler&#x27;s incorporation certificate was revoked in 2018 for allegedly violating the constitutional restriction on foreign ownership of mass media.Ressa has slammed the cases and acts of the state against her and the news site as attempts to curtail press freedom.

The Court of Tax Appeals 1st Division denied the appeal of Rappler Holdings Corporation and its Chief Executive Officer Maria Ressa to have her P70 million tax deficiency cases sent back to the Department of Justice.

The Court of Tax Appeals 1st Division denied the appeal of Rappler Holdings Corporation and its Chief Executive Officer Maria Ressa to have her P70 million tax deficiency cases sent back to the Department of Justice.

CTA to proceed with P70-million tax deficiency cases vs Ressa, Rappler

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CTA to proceed with P70-million tax deficiency cases vs Ressa, Rappler

Adrian Ayalin,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 15, 2019 06:47 PM PHT

Read More:

CTA

Court of Tax Appeals

Maria Ressa

Rappler

tax deficiency

taxes

DOJ

Department of Justice

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