“While every person has the right to seek legal remedies, the legal process should never be used to discourage independent journalism and reporting in the public interest.”
CAGAYAN DE ORO — Media organizations denounced the unjust vexation case filed against Bacolod-based journalist Marchel Espina.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) viewed the complaint as a means to intimidate Espina, a member of NUJP’s board of directors, as well as the media community.
“Any group or individual engaging in obvious political activities should not be onion-skinned when subjected to public scrutiny,” NUJP said in a statement. “Journalists report on matters of public interest, including supposed religious activities in support of certain politicians.”
The complaint against Espina, former editor-in-chief of SunStar Cebu and SunStar Bacolod, and four others stemmed from an opinion article titled “Demonic Church Meddling in Politics” published in SunStar Cebu and Journal Online in December 2024. The complaint for alleged violation of unjust vexation in relation to Section 6 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act was filed by a certain Pedro Castillo, reportedly a religious leader.
According to the NUJP, the Bacolod-based journalist learned that an arrest warrant was issued by a Batangas court without being notified of the complaint. “Espina was not afforded due process,” the group said.
Espina voluntarily surrendered to authorities on July 17. However, she said that her case raises concerns about the weaponization of laws against media workers and its chilling effect on press freedom.
“While every person has the right to seek legal remedies, the legal process should never be used to discourage independent journalism and reporting in the public interest,” she wrote on a Facebook post.
The People’s Alternative Media Network (AlterMidya) echoed Espina’s assertion, stressing that legal harassment of journalists has become one of the most persistent threats to press freedom in the country. “Increasingly, media workers are being dragged to court not because they have committed crimes, but because their journalism has offended powerful interests.”
In the 2026 Press Freedom Index, the legal index which measures a journalist’s ability to work without legal interference or harassment has severely declined in more than 60 percent of the surveyed countries and territories (110 out of 180) between 2025 and 2026.
Negros Occidental-based journalist Erwin Delilan, Rappler contributor and station manager of Bacolod-based Hapi FM, was arrested twice for the same charges in the first quarter of this year.
Just like Espina’s case, Delilan was also not able to file his counter-affidavits as he was not notified of the complaints filed by local officials, prompting him to file criminal and administrative charges against two trial judges and two prosecutors.
Read:criminal and administrative charges against two trial judges and two prosecutors
AlterMidya said that the weaponization of laws is part of a continuing pattern to silence independent journalism. “Such cases are meant to intimidate, consume time and resources, and discourage critical reporting.”
Media groups called for the dismissal of the case against Espina. (DAA)
Disclosure: Bulatlat’s editor-in-chief Ronalyn Olea is the secretary-general of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.
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