Maria Ressa, founder of Rappler and Nobel Peace Prize winner, was acquitted of tax evasion charges in a Manila court. The court ruled that prosecutors failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Ressa and Rappler had evaded tax payments. Ressa has maintained that the charges against her are politically motivated and the case has been widely criticized by human rights groups and press freedom advocates. The case has been seen as a test of press freedom in the Philippines.