Philippine Nobel winner Maria Ressa acquitted of tax evasionbr br Maria Ressa, a Nobel laureate from the Philippines, is acquitted of her last tax evasion charge on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, marking her latest legal win as she fights to avoid prison. She smiled when the judge announced the verdict after a nearly five-year-long case, but she still has two more cases pending from her legal battles during Rodrigo Duterte's presidency.