ILOILO City – The head of the Iloilo Provincial Information and Community Affairs Office (PICAO) has been indicted on three counts of cyber libel and is set to face trial for allegedly defaming Mayor Jerry Treñas through social media posts.
Assistant City Prosecutor Caryl Kate Fabella-Genova stated in her resolution that Nereo Lujan’s posts were malicious, deliberately intended to harm Treñas’ reputation, and lacked any good intention.
The posts, according to the prosecutor, were false and showed deliberate malice aimed at discrediting the mayor.
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 penalizes defamatory acts committed online with stricter penalties than traditional libel.
The charges stemmed from complaints filed by Mayor Treñas in May 2024 with the Iloilo City Prosecutor’s Office.
The controversy arose from media reports about the investigation into the Iloilo Central Market demolition.
These reports suggested an ongoing UNESCO investigation, which Treñas clarified was inaccurate.
Treñas claimed that Lujan used these reports to post false and malicious content about him on social media.
“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.
Prosecutor’s findings
In her resolution, Prosecutor Fabella-Genova rejected Lujan’s defenses.
“Respondent’s reiteration of his defense in absence of defamatory imputation… is not meritorious, and just a shallow excuse of the respondent’s intent to besmirch the reputation of the complainant,” the resolution read.
The prosecutor concluded that Lujan’s posts were not legitimate criticism but efforts to “ridicule and mock” Treñas, portraying him in a false and damaging light.
Mayor Treñas emphasized that freedom of expression does not justify ridicule, humiliation, or malicious attacks on public servants.
“While public officials are open to criticism, such freedom must not be abused to unjustly tarnish reputations through baseless and defamatory imputations.”
“Public service demands accountability, but it also requires protection against those who deliberately seek to mislead, defame, and distort the truth,” said Treñas.
He reiterated his openness to fair and constructive criticism but stated that he would not tolerate falsehoods disguised as free expression.
Lujan’s response
In a separate statement, Lujan acknowledged receiving information from Iloilo media about the denial of his motion for reconsideration on the City Prosecutor’s October 24, 2024 resolution indicting him for three counts of cyberlibel.
Originally, he clarified the case involved 12 counts, but the prosecutor narrowed it to three.
Lujan also raised concerns about the premature disclosure of the decision to the media.
“A person identified with the mayor forwarded a copy of the decision to members of the press, further highlighting the intent to manipulate public perception,” said Lujan.
Lujan emphasized that an indictment is not a conviction and vowed to exhaust all legal remedies to defend himself.
He claimed the charges were politically motivated and an attempt to silence his criticism of Treñas’ governance./PN
