Bulacan councilor held for cyber libel

MALOLOS, Philippines — A councilor in San Jose del Monte City has been arrested for cyber libel and detained in the provincial jail in this town.

Irene del Rosario was set for release yesterday after posting bail, jail warden Ferdinand Villanueva told The STAR.

When asked to comment on the case, a person who claims to be Del Rosario’s sister responded to a text message sent to the councilor’s phone number. She said  agents of the National Bureau of Investigation arrested the councilor on Tuesday in front of the city hall.

The case against Del Rosario was filed by a certain Perfecto Tagalog after she reportedly posted on Facebook that Mayor Arthur Robes and his wife Florida, congresswoman of San Jose del Monte, were behind the explosion of a water tank in October 2017 that left four persons dead and over 40 others injured, the text message sent by Del Rosario’s sister added.

Tagalog is said to be a supporter of the Robes couple.