ILOILO City – An arrest warrant is expected to be issued soon against Nereo Lujan, head of the Iloilo Provincial Information and Community Affairs Office (PICAO), after his indictment for the charge of three counts of cyber libel filed by Mayor Jerry Treñas.
During a press briefing, Treñas revealed that he had also filed an additional eight counts of cyber libel against Lujan before the prosecutor’s office, along with administrative complaints before the Civil Service Commission.
“I’ve been here for 39 years. Do I have a case against a member of the media? But if you’re not a member of the media, does that mean you can just oppress me, ridicule me? I will not allow it,” said Treñas.
The cyber libel charges against Lujan stemmed from social media posts that Treñas deemed malicious, defamatory, and intended to tarnish his reputation.
Prosecutor’s findings
Assistant City Prosecutor Caryl Kate Fabella-Genova, in her resolution, concluded that Lujan’s posts were malicious and lacked good intention or justifiable motive.
She described the content as deliberately aimed at discrediting the mayor, with no legitimate public criticism involved.
The charges fall under Articles 353 and 355 of the Revised Penal Code, in relation to Section 4(c)(4) of Republic Act 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012), which imposes stricter penalties for defamatory acts committed online.
The case originated from complaints filed by Treñas in May 2024, which cited Lujan’s posts regarding alleged investigations into the Iloilo Central Market demolition.
Treñas clarified that reports of a UNESCO investigation were inaccurate and claimed that Lujan used these reports to spread false and damaging information about him.
“He (Lujan) has been harassing me and my family for a long time already for no reason at all. I have finally had enough of his cyber harassment,” said Treñas.
Lujan’s response
Responding to the allegations, Lujan downplayed Treñas’ announcement of an impending arrest warrant.
“The issuance of an arrest warrant after the denial of a motion for reconsideration is a standard part of the legal process, particularly when an information has already been filed in court. I am prepared for this,” Lujan wrote in a statement on social media.
He also addressed the additional libel charges filed by Treñas, stating he had not yet received formal notice but would respond accordingly.
Lujan emphasized that only three of the original 12 charges filed against him were found to have merit, and he intends to exhaust all legal remedies to defend his right to criticize public officials.
“As I have said before, I will exhaust all legal remedies to prove that criticizing an elected official is a fundamental right,” he said.
Lujan also refuted accusations that he used government time for his social media posts, highlighting the use of Facebook’s scheduled post feature.
He pointed out that his office has received multiple awards from the Philippine Information Agency, underscoring his performance as a public information officer.
“I respect anyone’s right to bring their grievances to court. As long as justice remains blind and impartial, I have nothing to fear,” Lujan stressed./PN
