Drilon accuser faces arrest anew for online libel

The Pasay Regional Trial Court (RTC) on Wednesday found the former consultant, who linked Minority Leader Franklin Drilon to corruption, guilty anew of four counts of online libel for "defamatory articles" posted on social media.

In a 28-page decision, the court  sentenced former Iloilo provincial administrator Manuel "Boy" Mejorada to two to four years in jail for violation of Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 over a series of Facebook posts accusing then Senate President Drilon of corruption over the construction of the Iloilo Convention Center and other projects in the city.

The Pasay court also issued a warrant of arrest against Mejorada, who is already facing arrest for an earlier libel conviction.

Last year, the Supreme Court affirmed with finality an earlier decision that found Mejorada guilty of four counts of libel and sentenced him to an imprisonment of two to four years.

“Mejorada did not pause to recalculate his options after his complaint was dismissed, but relentlessly went on public reiterating the same accusations of corruption and defaming the private complainant. Such is a clear indication of his intent to malign,” the court said.

“This court is not mindful of the intent to air grievances against public officials as well as in the discharge of their official functions. But, such must be ‘an expression of opinion based on established facts, or can be reasonably inferred from the facts',” it added.

Drilon welcomed the Court’s decision.

“This new decision and the earlier ruling by the Pasay RTC only validate the fact that Mejorada’s allegations against me are complete lies and fabrications,” Drilon said in a statement.

The senator also lamented that Mejorada has “no respect for the rule of law.”

“Despite his conviction, Mejorada did not stop from fabricating vitriolic and false accusations against me and he is now hiding from the authorities to avoid serving his jail term,” Drilon said.

“Mejorada should face the consequences of his actions and must serve his sentence,” he added.—Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News