Negros journalist files complaint due to second arrest

CAGAYAN DE ORO — A Negros Occidental-based journalist filed criminal and administrative charges against two trial judges and two prosecutors following his second arrest in less than a month for unjust vexation.

Erwin Delilan, Rappler contributor and station manager of Bacolod-based Hapi FM, sent the complaints through the official email address of the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday, February 20. 

“I did this because this is too much,” Delilan said, as he was not able to file his counter-affidavit prior to both arrests because he was not informed about the cases filed. He stressed that he was deprived of his Constitutional rights.

Based on the document forwarded by Delilan to Bulatlat, the respondents are Bacolod City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 45 Judge Phoebe Gargantiel-Balbin, Bago City RTC Branch 62 Judge Irene Teves-Villaser, Talisay City Prosecutor Manelee Mijares-Managan, and Bago City Acting Prosecutor Maria Christy Uriarte.

On February 16, members of the Regional Anti Cyber Crime Unit served the arrest warrant for unjust vexation through information communication technology against Delilan at his residence in Enrique B. Magalona, Negros Occidental. The case was reportedly filed by Charina Magallanes-Tan, Negros Occidental provincial information officer and executive assistant of Governor Eugenio Lacson of the same province.

Based on the Information from Bago City Regional Trial Court Branch 62, the case stemmed from Delilan’s November 28, 2025 Facebook post. Delilan is known for his Binalaybay—a term used for Hiligaynon poems—commentaries on social media.

The complainant was “wilfully and unlawfully annoyed and vexed” by Delilan’s Binalaybay which criticized the governor for highlighting the taxes and fees collected by the provincial government from quarry operations following the impacts of Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) in the southern part of Negros Occidental.

In the said social media post, Delilan wondered if Magallanes-Tan briefed the provincial chief executive about the possible impact of the news release, adding if the provincial information officer was aware of the idiomatic expression “adding salt to the wound.”

Delilan’s first arrest on January 19, 2026 also stemmed from his Binalaybay post. The case was filed by Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II. He posted bail for his temporary liberty.

Read: Groups decry ‘questionable’ arrest of Negros Occidental journalist

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines – Negros Island Region (NUJP-NIR) denounced what it called a deliberate plan to humiliate Delilan. “So what do you call this? Plain harassment, sheer abuse of authority since the complainants are persons in authority.”

Chito Berjit Jr., NUJP-NIR chairperson, said that the unjust vexation charges were filed only because the local government officials who served as complainants could not file a libel case against Delilan as there was nothing wrong about his commentaries. (DAA)

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