AMBO DELILAN
(1st UPDATE) Media organizations have rallied behind Negrense journalist Marchel Espina after he was charged with unjust vexation under the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
Espina, a consultant for WAN-IFRA Women in News, voluntarily surrendered to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group–Negros Island Regional (CIDG-NIR) Field Office at Camp Alfredo Montelibano Sr. in Barangay Camingawan, Bacolod City on Friday, July 17.
She was served a warrant of arrest issued on July 13 by Judge Ma. Concepcion Araño Billones of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 1 in Batangas City.
The court set bail at P6,000, which her legal counsel, Abegail Bayona, immediately posted.
As of posting time, Espina was awaiting her release order.
The complaint stemmed from the opinion article “Demonic Church Meddling in Politics,” published by SunStar Cebu and Journal Online in December 2024, when Espina was serving as editor-in-chief (EIC) of SunStar Cebu.
The complainant, Pedro Fajot Castillo, identified in court documents as a district supervising minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) in Batangas, alleged that the article caused him “annoyance, irritation, torment, distress, and disturbance.”
In separate statements, several journalism and press freedom organizations expressed concern over the case.
AlterMidya described the complaint as an attempt to intimidate journalists and discourage critical reporting.
“The criminal case against journalist Marchel Espina reflects a dangerous reality,” the media network said.
The Iloilo Media-Citizen Council (IMCC) called on prosecutors to review and withdraw the complaint, urging the courts to apply heightened scrutiny to criminal actions involving journalistic publications.
It also appealed to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue clear guidance against the use of unjust vexation charges in cases involving journalism.
The College Editors Guild of the Philippines–Negros Island Region (CEGP-NIR) said Espina’s case forms part of what it described as a pattern of escalating attacks against journalists in Negros.
“This is yet another manifestation of how legal mechanisms are being weaponized to silence journalists and undermine press freedom,” the student journalists’ organization said.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), where Espina serves as one of its national directors, also condemned the filing of criminal charges against her.
The organization said Espina was not afforded due process because she allegedly learned of the warrant of arrest only days before her surrender and was not notified of the complaint or given the opportunity to file a counter-affidavit.
“The filing of charges against Espina is clearly meant to intimidate her and the media community,” the NUJP said.
The group added that the case was not the first to be filed by leaders of the same religious organization against journalists for critical reporting and opinion pieces.
“Any group or individual engaging in obvious political activities should not be onion-skinned when subjected to public scrutiny,” the NUJP said, noting that journalists report on matters of public interest, including the alleged political involvement of religious groups.
The NUJP further described the filing of criminal cases against journalists as “a weapon of choice by the powers that be,” saying the practice undermines press freedom and reflects weaknesses in the country’s justice system.
Meanwhile, the Negros Press Club (NPC), of which Espina is a member and a former officer, said it extended assistance to Espina and worked to ensure the latter’s interests during the process.
“The Negros Press Club, Inc. reiterates its mandate to support and protect its members. The club remains open and ready to provide necessary assistance,” NPC said in a statement.
However, the NPC did not release a public statement earlier this year when its former president, this writer, faced a similar unjust vexation complaint and was arrested twice.
Espina said the complaint raises concerns about the use of criminal charges against journalists and editors for their work, warning that such cases could have a chilling effect on press freedom.
She also said that, like Delilan, she was not served with a summons or subpoena before the warrant was issued, which prevented her from filing a counter-affidavit during the preliminary stages of the case.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, during a July 11 event, warned prosecutors against practices that could be used to harass individuals by filing cases prematurely.
“Cases were filed first, and evidence was gathered later,” Remulla said, cautioning against turning the justice system into “a tool of intimidation rather than a guarantor of rights.”
