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CEBU CITY — Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has filed at least 10 counts of cyber libel against two Facebook users who accused her and her family of corruption, extortion and abuse of power in a series of viral online posts.
During a press conference at the Capitol on Monday, Garcia's private legal team submitted the complaints to the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7).
The respondents were identified as Michael Deen Cano, known on Facebook as "Deen Chase," and Efren Omayan, who uses the alias "Dong Efren."
Garcia's lead counsel, Alex Avisado, a senior partner at the Makati-based Gana, Atienza, Avisado Law Firm, confirmed the filing of the cyber libel complaints.
He appeared before the media alongside fellow lawyers Rose Ann Rosales Vasquez and Desiree Perles, as well as Capitol legal consultant Jong Sepulveda.
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The complaints stemmed from a Facebook post made by Cano, which accused Garcia of numerous crimes, including corruption, extortion, abuse and conflict of interest.
Omayan allegedly shared the same content on his own Facebook account, further amplifying the allegations.
According to Avisado, the governor's camp considers the posts to be personal attacks that contain false and malicious information.
He emphasized that such content crosses the line of free expression and enters the territory of criminal liability under the cybercrime law.
"Yes, you are free to criticize. But you are not free to spread false and reckless accusations against the Governor," he added.
Cano's post, which went viral shortly before the complaints were filed, claimed that Garcia and her relatives amassed unexplained wealth and purchased a $10-million yacht.
The post also alleged that the governor and her family had attempted to take over cement factories, piggeries and mining sites in Cebu.
Avisado insisted that all of these allegations are false. He said that such actions no longer fall under protected speech, even if the subject is a public official like the governor.
Sepulveda said the governor has become the target of a coordinated smear campaign, which he believes is motivated by politics.
He pointed out that the attacks coincided with the upcoming elections and survey results showing the governor leading may have intensified these efforts.
Vasquez explained that the legal team decided to file the complaints with NBI-7 because its cybercrime division is equipped to verify the digital footprints of the accused.
She said investigators can trace the origin of the posts, identify the gadgets used and even determine whether dummy accounts were created to spread the content.
Garcia's legal team also issued a warning to the public about sharing unverified posts on social media.
They reminded netizens that spreading false content can make them equally liable under the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
Shortly after the governor's team announced the complaints, Cano posted a reaction video on Facebook. He said, "Gwendolyn Garcia, hello lola... You don't scare me...."
He continued by accusing the governor of using legal action to silence critics.
"This is the kind of evil that Cebu is facing right now. Just because we are raising questions and demanding transparency from her governance. She immediately does what she does best. Filing a case haha," Cano wrote.
In his video, he also stated that if Garcia loses her reelection bid, he would urge the next provincial leader to expose her actions at the Capitol.
However, at one point in the video, he erroneously refers to Garcia as the leader of Cebu City. The current mayor of Cebu City is her nephew, Raymond Alvin Garcia.
