Cyber libel case vs. Bello not 'political persecution' — Tupas

The cyber libel case filed against activist and former vice presidential candidate Walden Bello is not a case of political persecution, former Davao City chief information officer and complainant Jefry Tupas said Thursday.

In a 12-page comment filed before the Supreme Court, Tupas said there was no question that Bello's statements against her were defamatory.

"This case, no matter how the petitioner may imagine it to be, is not a case of political persecution. Neither is it a case where there was any suppression of dissent or attempt to do so," Tupas said.

"If there ever is, or ever will be, a case that exemplifies the need to take a second look at the constitutionality of our laws on libel, this case is certainly not it," she later added.

GMA News Online has sought comment from Bello's camp but has yet to receive a response as of posting time.

The comment is over the petition filed by Bello seeking to declare unconstitutional Articles 353 to 355 of the Revised Penal Code and Article 4(c)(4) of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Bello, who is facing a cyber libel case filed by Tupas, also urged the court to nullify and permanently enjoin his prosecution. He cautioned the libel statutes have become "tools to suppress dissent."

However, Tupas said that the case was a reason why cyber libel should not be decriminalized in the country.

"In this age of social media, the consequences of the abuse of free speech have been exponentially magnified. At the click of a button, a baseless derogatory statement is published for the world to see and, like a loosed arrow, the damage done upon its release cannot be easily undone," she said.

Bello's cyber libel case stemmed from his claims that Tupas was "nabbed at a beach party where she and her friends were snorting P1.5 million worth of drugs" when he was asking then-Mayor Sara Duterte to explain supposed "blots" on her record in Davao City.

Tupas, who admitted to attending the party, said that she left after eating, just before a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency operation seized P1.5 million worth of drugs.

Bello sought the vice presidency in the 2022 national elections under the Partido Lakas ng Masa. He also served as Akbayan party-list representative from 2009 to 2015. — VDV, GMA Integrated News