Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — A vlogger and a tattoo artist is in hot water after Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan filed five counts of cyber libel complaints against him.
The case was filed by Chan on October 30, 2024, against Humprey Elvira, who was in strong opposition to the mayor’s administration.
“Partial lang ni siya, ang five counts of cyber libel. Duna ni siya’y nagsunod. Hopefully this week, another five counts, and another five counts for next week. Gi-prepare pa sa atong mga abogado,” Chan said.
Chan said that he is likely to file a total of 20 counts of cyber libel against Elvira.
Chan accused Elvira of posting malicious and libelous statements on his Facebook Page, “Kamatuoran sa Opon,” which allegedly violates Paragraph (c), Section 4 of Republic Act 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Section 4 of the Act outlines cybercrime offenses that are punishable by law, while Paragraph (c) specifically addresses content-related offenses, including libel.
The mayor alleged that Elvira’s posts are “utterly false, defamatory, and were maliciously and publicly posted.”
In his press conference on Monday, the mayor stated that the libelous posts appeared publicly on September 8, September 13, September 19, October 8, and October 9.
Mayor Chan’s lawyers are currently researching additional posts made by Elvira.
The mayor recalled that Elvira had previously filed a plunder case against him in April 2022, which did not prosper. Since then, the respondent allegedly has been attacking him.
Mayor Chan noted that Elvira ran for City Councilor in 2022 but lost. He also mentioned that Elvira participated in the Barangay SK election in Canjulao and again faced defeat.
“Dili na pud maki-angayon nga magsigi siya pang-atake personal,” he added.
Chan now leaves it to the court to decide whether Elvira is liable.
He also believed that a politician might be behind these actions.
“Well, naa jud politico nga nagpaluyo, klaro man, kaniadto pa, way back in 2022.” he said.
The mayor believes the motive behind this may be related to Elvira seeking favors from him but failing to receive any. However, he admitted he is not 100 percent certain, mentioning that it might also involve “tattoos.”
“Wala niya madala ang kadtong pintados didto sa Mactan shrine,” he added.
As of this writing, Elvira has yet to comment on the complaint filed against him.