Police nab blogger Fashion Pulis on Deniece Cornejo’s libel complaint

Blogger Michael Sy Lim, who goes by the moniker "Fashion Pulis," was arrested on Tuesday over a libel case that the camp of Deniece Cornejo filed.

Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Public Information Officer Chief Insp. Elizabeth Jasmin confirmed this to GMA News Online.

She said that Lim was arrested at around 11 a.m. in Makati City today. The arrest was led by Police Senior Supt. Romeo Baleros, chief of the Women and Children Protection Unit.

In a tweet, Lim said he was held at the office of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Held in the CIDG office. Sad how people abuse libel to curtail press freedom. #FPisFearless

— Fashion PULIS (@FashionPulis) August 11, 2015

"Sad how people abuse libel (laws) to curtail press freedom," he posted.

"The arrest today of Mr. Michael Sy Lim a.k.a. Fashion Pulis is a vindication of the rights of my client, Ms. Deniece Cornejo, and more importantly, it sends the message that cyberbullying and victim-bashing, in whatever form and from whichever source, has no place in civilized discourse," Cornejo's legal counsel Atty. Ferdinand Topacio said in a statement sent to GMA News Online.  

The case stems from libel charges in relation to the Section IV-c (4) of the Republic Act 10175, which refers to libel "committed through a computer system or any other similar means which may be devised in the future."

Cornejo filed the case after Lim posted her alleged medical records on his blog.

"While free expression is indispensable in a democracy, that freedom must be exercised responsibly and with due regard to the rights of women to privacy and decency. Rights must not be used to violate the rights of others,"  Topacio added.

According to Jasmin, Lim's lawyer is already processing his bail of P16,000. —NB/JST, GMA News