Chavit Singson: Cyber libel charges meant to discredit me over flood control rebuke

Businessman and former Ilocos Sur governor Chavit Singson on Friday claimed that his cyber libel case was intended to discredit him over his criticisms related to the flood control corruption scandal.

In a statement, Singson said he "voluntarily sought" to post bail for the cyber libel charge but a Quezon City judge allegedly refused and directed him to "undergo police processing."

"It is not true that I was arrested at my residence. What should have been a routine legal proceeding was an attempt to publicly humiliate me," said Singson.

"Within minutes, my booking photograph was already circulating publicly. That does not happen without authorization. Since the police operate under the Executive Branch, we have every right to ask who ordered it and why," he said.

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) has issued a statement saying it arrested on Thursday afternoon a certain "Luis" at his residence at Barangay Ugong Norte, Quezon City, for alleged violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. A GMA News source confirmed the individual to be Singson.

His arrest warrant was issued by Branch 21, Regional Trial Court (RTC), Vigan City. Singson, however, posted a cash bond amounting to P60,000 and was released from the custody of QCPD-Police Station 12.

According to the former governor, the circumstances of the case were "highly-unusual," including the alleged designation of a new Manila judge for the case and the speed of the proceedings.

"As I intensified my calls for a full investigation into the flood control controversy and sought answers regarding the use of flood control funds intended to protect Filipino communities from flooding, efforts to discredit and intimidate me soon followed," said Singson.

"Hindi ba kapansin-pansin na habang lumalabas ang mga detalye ng korapsyon, ang mga nagsasalita tungkol dito ang siyang pinatatahimik at sinasampahan ng kaso?" he said.

(Isn't it noticeable that while details of the flood control scheme are revealed, critics are being silenced and filed with cases?)

GMA News Online has requested comment from Malacañang on the matter, but it has yet to respond as of posting time.

Singson insisted that he would not be "silenced" by the case, adding that he would continue to call for accountability and transparency over the anomalous flood control projects.

"No arrest, no case, and no amount of political pressure will stop me from pursuing the truth and uncovering who the real mastermind is behind this scandal," said Singson.

"The more they try to silence me, the more determined I become," he added.

In May, Singson alleged the 5,500 flood control projects earlier cited by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. as completed are actually "ghost projects."

Singson was alluding to a pronouncement made by Marcos in his 2024 State of the Nation Address, stating that about 5,500 flood control projects had been completed nationwide, alongside other similar infrastructure projects, as part of preparations for heavy rainfall linked to La Niña. — VDV, GMA News