By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas doubled down on his legal battle against Iloilo Provincial Information and Community Affairs Office chief Jose Nereo Lujan, saying the cyber libel charges should serve as a lesson.
“I heard that he has been doing this to other people and then I think it’s really about time that he should be taught a lesson,” the city mayor said in a press conference on Thursday, February 27.
He expressed that he is “happy” that Jose Nereo Lujan has posted bail on his cyber libel charges but stressed that he is just having temporary liberty.
“Well, I am happy that he is accused in a criminal case, but he is out on bail, meaning to say temporary liberty. When you face a case, your opponent is the People of the Philippines. He has been accused of three counts of cyber libel,” he said in a press conference on Thursday, February 27.
Aside from being happy with the Iloilo Provincial Information and Community Affairs Office chief’s bail, the city mayor also noted that with his temporary freedom, Lujan can continue posting on his Facebook account.
This, according to Treñas, would give him more opportunity to continue filing charges against Lujan.
Lujan has posted bail for three counts of cyber libel, paying P48,000 for each count. He posted bail on Tuesday, February 25 — the same day his warrant of arrest was released.
Lujan has been indicted by a local prosecutor on three counts of cyber libel after his posts were found to be libelous, malicious, and defamatory against Treñas.
The city mayor also revealed that he filed an additional eight counts of cyber libel against the provincial government official in late January this year.
The mayor also made it clear that he has never filed a libel or cyber libel case against a journalist or any individual throughout his years in public service. However, he drew the line at what he perceived as an attack on his reputation.
“If you try to humiliate and embarrass me, that’s a different story,” he stressed.
