Jay Sonza released on bail

Former TV host Jay Sonza was released from the detention center where he was held in Muntinlupa City on Monday evening after he posted bail.

According to Oscar Oida’s report on “24 Oras,” Sonza was released past 7 p.m. The Pasay Regional Trial Court Branch 118 issued a release order, according to his lawyer, Mark Tolentino.

Tolentino said the court apologized as the arrest warrant mistakenly stated that Sonza’s case was non-bailable.

The warrant cited the non-bailable Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act in Sonza’s case, while he is actually facing charges for unlawful use of means of publication and unlawful utterances.

According to the court, the term “not bailable” did not come from them but from the Philippine National Police’s e-warrant system, which is system-generated.

“That’s why minadali din po ng NBI na mabigay kaagad ‘yung return of warrant of arrest para ‘yung court can clarify kung ano talaga ‘yung nature nung warrant and ang court naman, in fairness to the court, on day two, that was a Saturday, issued that order, saying, ni-rectify that there should be a bail recommended,” National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag said.

(That’s why the NBI expedited the submission of the return of the warrant of arrest so that the court could clarify what is the true nature of the warrant, and the court, in fairness, on day two, which was a Saturday, issued that order, saying, it rectified that there should be a bail recommended.)

Sonza’s arraignment was postponed after his lawyer filed a motion to quash, seeking the dismissal of the case in connection with the alleged dissemination of unverified information about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s health.

Tolentino said the Pasay RTC does not have jurisdiction over the case because the President resides in Manila.

“Kasi, the alleged party is the President of the Philippines. Sabi ng batas, kung saan nangyari ang alleged na krimen, doon dapat i-file ang kaso. So saan ba nasaktan ang damdamin ng ating Presidente, yung kanyang damdamin, allegedly nasaktan. Nandito ba sa Pasay? Hindi. Kung may nasaktan siya, allegedly nasaktan siya, wala akong pag-amin, allegedly nasaktan siya doon sa Maynila, hindi dito," Tolentino said.

(The alleged party is the President of the Philippines. Under the law, the case should be filed where the alleged crime was committed. So, where did the President’s feelings were allegedly hurt? Was it in Pasay? No. If he was allegedly hurt, and I’m not admitting anything, it would have been in Manila, not here.)

The lawyer added the NBI cannot file the case because it is not the aggrieved party, but the President himself.

“Nasa korte na po ito. It will be the court to decide on the matter, which the Regional Trial Court in Pasay will decide. It was the investigation of the National Bureau of Investigation. Kami po yung nag-case build-up, kami po yung nag-file sa DOJ and ang opisina ng NBI ay nasa Pasay,” Matibag said.

(The Regional Trial Court in Pasay will handle that matter. It was the investigation of the National Bureau of Investigation. We were the ones who built up the case, and we were the ones who filed it before the Department of Justice. The NBI office is located in Pasay.)

The court gave the DOJ 10 days to comment on the defense’s filed motion to quash.—Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA News