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ARREST. Mayor Edgar Labella says the arrest of the zebu artist Bambi Beltrán is “nothing personal”. Photo of Bambi Beltrán from the Facebook page and photo of Edgar Labella from the Cebu City Public Information Office
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Mayor Edgar Labella said Monday, April 20, that he was doing his job when he arrested the writer and businesswoman Maria Victoria “Bambi” Beltrán for a Facebook post about the coronavirus outbreak in Cebu City. .
“What I told him is that there is nothing personal, we are implementing the law,” Labella said on the ABS-CBN (ANC) news channel.
Beltrán was arrested for a Facebook post, where she said Cebu had “9,000+ positive cases” in Sitio Zapatera, an area in Barangay Luz with the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases out of a total of 135, making the city the ” epicenter of the entire Solar System. ” Then he said it was a sarcastic comment.
She was arrested at 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 19. She was investigated on Monday afternoon and was accused of violating Republic Law 10175 or the Cyber Crime Law; Republic Law 11469 or the Bayanihan Heal As One Law; and the Law of the Republic 1132 or the violation of the obligatory notification of certain diseases.
His bond totaled P42,000 on all charges, but he was unable to post due to limited court hours due to the skeleton workforce under the enhanced community quarantine.
When Rappler contacted the Regional Police Office-7 on Sunday to ask what they accused of Beltrán, they only mentioned the cybercrime law.
Labella mentioned during her ANC interview that she “had” to implement the provision of the Bayanihan Heal As One Act. She said the publication caused “a great alarm for many residents.” (READ: Duterte’s special powers bill punishes fake news for jail time, up to P1-M fine)
Beltrán’s post only had 4 shares until Mayor Labella took a screenshot and posted it, causing it to go viral.
“There were so many who texted me, due to the very nature of the post on the page, the police acted on it. I’m sure the police just did their job, “said Labella.
When asked why she did not call Beltrán before pressing charges, Labella replied: “The matter is now in the hands of the police and is left to the judicial authorities to evaluate. If there was no violation, so be it. ”
When asked again why she couldn’t call Beltran before pursuing criminal charges, Labella said: “I have met her. She has been a friend. What I told her is that there is nothing personal, we are implementing the law. If they believe there it is not a violation, they are free to challenge it.“
Both share a history of being part of the film heritage of the city.
Beltrán is a well-known fiction and film writer, poet and actor in Visayan films. His original story Ang Damgo Ni Eleuteria It was adapted into a script by Remton Zuasola who won 4 Gawad Urian Awards in 2011.
She also owns a bar and cafe called Kukuks nest that is frequented by members of the artistic community.
Labella’s father was a famous film director from Visayan and her mother was a theater actress. He appointed Beltrán to the Cebuano Cinema Development Council in October 2019.
When asked if going ahead with the Beltrán charges would have a chilling effect on local freedom of expression in Cebu, he said: “The law is very clear. If it is something that will cause panic, it will cause fear to our citizens. It is not true. that there are 9,000 positives; 134 are asymptomatic. “
While the emerging law (Bayanihan Heal As One) punished fake “news,” former Supreme Court spokesman Ted Te previously told Rappler that a paragraph on punishing fake news “would be void.”
There is no law that punishes false “news” nor is there any law that defines it.
“Since there is no law that criminalizes or defines fake news as a crime, and the special powers law does not define what fake news is, it cannot be criminalized. That would be void,” Te said.
Labella said it is up to Beltrán if his lawyers want to challenge the constitutionality of the law, and said he instructed the police to guarantee Beltrán’s right to due process.
“I instructed them to ensure the necessary rudiments of due process. And follow the proper procedure according to the law, ”he said.
In a statement on Monday, April 20, Visayas vice president of the Philippine University Editors Guild, Claire Obejas, called the arrest a “crackdown” on freedom of expression.
“If the government were really concerned with containing the pandemic, these draconian measures will only fill already narrow prisons, putting more people at risk of contracting the virus,” said Obejas. “At the height of vulnerability, what we need are compassionate and humane policies.”
Beltrán is expected to post bail before Tuesday, April 21. with a report from Lian Buan / Rappler.com
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