Radio reporter’s arrest over Manila councilor warrant report hit

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MANILA, Philippines — A radio reporter was arrested over his report on a Manila councilor facing allegations of lascivious conduct.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned the arrest of DZRH reporter Misael “Boy” Gonzales, 66, who was taken into police custody on the morning of March 11.

According to a report by DZRH, Gonzales was arrested for an alleged violation of the Data Privacy Act (DPA) after reporting details of an arrest warrant issued against Manila Councilor Rosalino Ibay Jr., who is reportedly facing allegations of lascivious conduct under the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

In the comment section of a Facebook post expressing support for Gonzales, another media reporter said that Gonzales had already been released after posting bail.

According to the DZRH report, Gonzales’ legal counsel, lawyer Rhina Seco, said the arrest stemmed from a complaint filed by Ibay alleging that Gonzales violated Section 25 of the DPA of 2012 after publishing a copy of a warrant of arrest.

Seco said that while Ibay initiated legal action involving allegations of libel, cyberlibel and violations of the DPA, prosecutors dismissed the libel-related charges for lack of “probable cause,” according to the report.

Although the investigating prosecutor initially recommended moving forward with the data privacy charge, Seco noted that their team has since filed a motion for reconsideration regarding that specific resolution.

Furthermore, a subsequent order from the Metropolitan Trial Court, Branch 13, resulted in the dismissal of the remaining case on the grounds of lack of jurisdiction.

She also said that Gonzales posted bail amounting to P400,000.

Meanwhile, the NUJP called Gonzales’ arrest “clearly retaliatory and an abuse of the law.”

“Reporting on it is Gonzales' duty and not a crime… This is not the first time that the Data Privacy Act, which recognizes exceptions for journalistic work, has been used to intimidate, harass, or retaliate against media workers,” the NUJP said in a statement.

The group also said that Ibay’s case, since it allegedly involved a minor, is a “matter of public interest.”

“While the security of personal information is important, the DPA is also commonly used to deny media workers access to information essential to their work and for ‘lawfare’ suits to deter or punish coverage,” the NUJP added.