Negros Occidental village official faces cyber libel case for defaming mayoral bet
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Authorities on Friday, April 4, collared a village kagawad in Tiling, Cauayan, Negros Occidental, for facing a cyber libel case, for calling a mayoral bet “gay,” among other defamatory posts on Facebook in October last year.
Bernie Nuñez, 38, of Purok 2, Barangay Tiling, was cornered by arresting policemen from Cauayan Municipal Station in his residence past noontime.
Nuñez did not know he was a facing cyber libel case.
Cops, however, informed him that he was charged with five counts of cyber libel, or violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, by realtor Jurry Nabaja.
Nabaja is a candidate for mayor in Cauayan, Negros Occidental, challenging incumbent Mayor John Rey Tabujara in the upcoming May 12 midterm elections. Tabujara is seeking a third and final term.
It was Judge Gian Enrico Navarro of the Regional Trial Court Branch 133 in Tagaytay City, Cavite, who issued the arrest warrant dated March 28, 2025 against Nuñez.
Judge Navarro’s issuance of an arrest warrant was based on the recommendation of the Provincial Prosecutor of Cavite who found probable cause to charge Nuñez with five counts of cyber libel.
The case came after Nabaja filed a complaint in Cavite against Nuñez for reportedly defaming him via the latter’s Facebook posts on October 17, 18, and 24, 2024.
In a four-page recommendation penned by Cavite’s Assistant Prosecutors Ferdinand Palafox and Anita Guadang-Rojales on February 18, they said that respondent Nuñez was indeed qualified to be charged with five counts of cyber libel on four specific grounds:
- For accusing the complainant of scamming his investors.
- For alleging the complainant of engaging in lewd acts with his bodyguards.
- For alleging the complainant of availing sexual services at a spa in Cubao, Quezon City.
- For alleging the complainant of antagonizing a pastor of a Baptist Church in Cauayan.
The recommending prosecutors stressed there was malice on respondent when he made the subject posts on Facebook, as there was no evidence to state that those Facebook posts were done with good intention and justifiable motive.
The prosecutors added there was no doubt the complainant was also the one being defamed in the subject posts of Nuñez by calling him as “Jura Nabaja-an,” “Mayor Jura Nabaja-an”, “Mayor Jura Box” and “Juris”.
Cavite’s Provincial Prosecutor Vina Monzon-Rojo, therefore, approved the recommendation of the filing of five counts of cyber libel against Nun̈ez on February 25.
Meanwhile, along with the arrest warrant, Judge Navarro also set a P10,000 bail for each count of cyber libel against Nun̈ez for his temporary liberty.
As of this posting, a report from Cauayan Municipal Police Station said Nun̈ez has already been released from detention after posting P50,000 bail bond on April 4. – Rappler.com