Ressa arraignment on tax raps set Dec. 7

Online news outfit Rappler’s chief executive officer Maria Ressa is free for now after posting bail for tax evasion charges before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) on Monday. (File photo by PCOO)

MANILA — Online news outfit Rappler’s chief executive officer Maria Ressa is free for now after posting bail for tax evasion charges before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) on Monday.

Pasig RTC Branch 265 Judge Danilo Buemio has set Ressa’s arraignment on Friday (Dec. 7) at 8:30 a.m.

“Accused, Rappler Holdings Corp./Maria A. Ressa having surrendered voluntarily before this Court and having filed a cash bond in the amount of PHP60,000 fixed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for her provisional liberty, under O.R. 60883220 dated December 3,2018, the order of arrest (dated) November 28, 2018 transmitted to the station commander of Pasig City is hereby lifted/recalled,” the one-page order said.

The charge is the fifth complaint for tax law violations filed by state prosecutors against Ressa.

The previous charges were filed before the Court of Tax Appeals

In its charge sheet dated Nov. 17, 2018 filed before the Pasig City RTC, Assistant State Prosecutor Zenamar Machacon Caparros indicted Ressa of Rappler Holdings Corp. (RHC) for alleged violation of Sec. 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code.

The charge accused the online firm of “fail(ure) to supply correct and accurate information in the quarterly value-added tax return of RHC for the second quarter of tax year 2015.”

Based on the charge sheet, the firm reportedly committed the violation when it “fail(ed) to report the quarterly sales receipts coming from the issue and sale by RHC of Philippine Depositary Receipts as a dealer in securities to North Base Media Rappler in the total amount of PHP2.54 million.”

The act resulted in unpaid deficiency value-added tax of PHP294,000 due to the government, excluding surcharge and interest, the indictment said.