In a startling development, RTC Judge Rowena Nieves Adena Tan has issued a public apology after wrongly ordering the arrest of broadcaster Jay Sonza on a non-bailable warrant. The warrant, which was later found to be erroneous, resulted in Sonza spending several days in jail.
Judge Admits Mistake
Judge Tan acknowledged that the arrest warrant was a mistake, attributing the error to what she described as an "online platform related to bail processing." Essentially, she claimed that the fault lay with a computer application, not with her personally. This explanation has drawn widespread criticism, as many legal experts and netizens believe that such errors should not occur in the first place.
Sonza was charged with cyberlibel for allegedly reporting false information about the health of President Bongbong Marcos. The case was filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) at the Regional Trial Court of Pasay City. However, questions have been raised about the jurisdiction of the case, as the alleged crime did not occur in Pasay. Moreover, cyberlibel is a private crime, which typically requires the offended party to file the complaint. In this instance, it was the NBI that initiated the case, not President Marcos himself.
Parallels to Previous Case
The situation bears resemblance to a previous incident involving the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Bohol. The SP once summoned the journalist to explain a column and radio program that mentioned a high-ranking politician allegedly holding a large dollar account after a devastating earthquake. Despite the Shield Law protecting journalists from revealing their sources, the SP insisted on knowing the source and the identity of the politician. The journalist refused, explaining that if anyone felt aggrieved, they should file a libel case. However, no case was ever filed, and instead, the SP declared the journalist persona non grata.
This latest controversy highlights ongoing concerns about the abuse of power and the importance of due process in the Philippine judicial system.
