Iloilo court issues warrant for info chief over alleged cyberlibel on ex-mayor

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February 26, 2026 | 12:33pm

MANILA, Philippines — A court in Iloilo has ordered the arrest of the province’s public information chief over alleged cyberlibel against former Iloilo Mayor Jerry Treñas.

In an order dated February 24, the Iloilo Regional Trial Court Branch 38 issued a warrant for the arrest of Iloilo’s public information and community affairs chief, Nereo Cajilig Lujan, for alleged cyberlibel related to his Facebook post.

According to a copy of the warrant obtained by Philstar.com, the court set bail at P48,000 for the two counts of cyberlibel against Lujan.

Treñas, in a Facebook post, said he filed the complaints personally, saying that he did not take Lujan’s actions lightly.

“It was undertaken after careful consideration and in full faith in our legal system. This is not about personal vengeance. It is about principle. It is about drawing the line between criticism and character assassination,” he said.

In a now-deleted comment on Treñas’ post, Lujan stated that he had already posted bail.

In a separate Facebook post, Lujan said that “weaponizing the law against freedom of expression is an assault on democracy.”

“When those wielding it claim to be victims of ‘abuse’ of that same freedom, the danger deepens. Laws must protect dissent, not silence it,” he said.