Filipino journalist and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa speaks to the media after testifying before the Court of Tax Appeals in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, March 4, 2021. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez
MANILA (Reuters) - Veteran Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, who runs a website known for its tough scrutiny of President Rodrigo Duterte, took the witness stand for the first time on Thursday to counter tax evasion charges that she maintains were politically motivated.
Ressa, a Time Magazine Person of the Year in 2018 for fighting media intimidation, is facing several government lawsuits that have stoked international concern about harassment of journalists in the Philippines, a country once seen as a standard bearer for press freedom in Asia.
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