• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
Negros-based journalist Erwin “Ambo” Delilan filed criminal and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas Friday, against two regional trial court judges and two city prosecutors for depriving him of his rights after two recent arrests.
Delilan filed complaints of gross abuse of authority or oppression, ignorance of the law, and neglect of duty against Bacolod City Regional Trial Court Branch 45 Presiding Judge Phoebe Gargantiel-Balbin, Talisay City Prosecutor Manelee Mijares-Manahan, Bago City RTC Branch 62 Presiding Judge Irene Teves-Villaser, and Bago City Prosecutor’s Office officer-in-charge Ma. Christy Uriarte.
Delilan, a member and former president of the Negros Press Club, Panay News columnist, Rappler contributor, Hapi Radio-Bacolod station manager, and a content creator in Binalaybay Ni Ambo, in his complaint dated February 20, said that he was deprived of his basic Constitutional rights specified under Article III, Section 14(2) of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which is to be informed of the criminal complaint (unjust vexation through ICT Article 287) filed against him at the Bacolod RTC Branch 45 and Bago RTC Branch 62.
He said he was arrested on January 19 at his residence at past 10:30 p.m. by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Negros Island Region by virtue of an arrest warrant issued by Bacolod RTC Branch 45. After the procedural booking, he was detained by the CIDG-NIR detention facility overnight prior to posting bail amounting to P3,000 for three counts of unjust vexation.
Delilan said he was again arrested on February 16 at his residence at about 10 p.m. for the same crime and the same counts by the members of the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit-Negros Island Region (RACU-NIR) by virtue of an arrest warrant issued by the Bago City RTC Branch 62. He again posted bail for his release.
He only knew the respective complainants and the cases they filed against him after he had posted bail, he said.
Delilan said he was deprived of his basic constitutional right to be informed of the complaints filed against him prior to the arrest.
“Hence, my rights as an accused were indeed trampled upon,” he said.
Delilan was accused of unjust vexation on both occasions over his Hiligaynon poems on his social media page, which criticized local officials of Negros Occidental.
He filed both criminal and administrative complaints against the prosecutors, including gross abuse of authority or oppression as specified under the Revised Administrative Code of 1987, Ombudsman Act of 1989 (RA 6770), and Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (RA 6713); as well as Ignorance of the law under Article 3 of RA No. 386, or the Civil Code of the Philippines; and neglect of duty/misconduct under RA 6770 (Ombudsman Act).*
