Former congressman Kiko Barzaga has been charged with cyber libel before the Manila Regional Trial Court following a complaint filed by the Manila Office of the City Prosecutor.
The case stemmed from a social media post made in January in which Barzaga accused several members of the National Unity Party (NUP) of receiving bribes from businessman Enrique Razon in exchange for political support.
The post also alleged that the support included backing the leadership of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
According to the complaint, the limited number of members in the political party made it possible to identify Manila Rep. Rolando Valeriano as one of the individuals referred to in Barzaga’s statements.
Prosecutors alleged that the statements were made with the intention of damaging the congressman’s reputation and exposing him to public hatred, contempt and ridicule.
The complaint also stated that Barzaga used his Facebook page, which has approximately 1.9 million followers, to publish the statements.
Because of the page’s large audience, prosecutors said the post quickly spread and was also reported by several online news platforms.
The prosecution argued that the widespread circulation of the post satisfied the publication element required in a cyber libel case.
The Manila Office of the City Prosecutor subsequently filed the case before the Manila Regional Trial Court.
Prosecutors recommended bail of P10,000 for Barzaga’s temporary release while the case is being heard.
The complaint focuses on the contents of Barzaga’s social media post and the circumstances surrounding its publication.
No statement from Barzaga regarding the filing of the case was included in the information released.
The case will proceed before the Manila Regional Trial Court following the filing of the cyber libel charge by the prosecution.
