A lady based in Davao City was apprehended by local police authorities last Jan. 19 to enforce a warrant of arrest issued by a Quezon City court for a cyberlibel case filed by a science writer.
Photo from the PNP Police Regional Office 11
In a news update posted on its Facebook page, the Police Regional Office 11 of the Philippine National Police said it arrested 36-year-old Angely Chi at Cecil’s restaurant located in the Anda district of Davao City.
Chi has a pending case for violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, specifically on its provision against online libel, before Branch 90 of the QC Regional Trial Court.
Science writer Timothy James “TJ” Dimacali filed the complaint after Chi posted a series of tweets in August 2019 accusing him of raping a participant during the 26th Iligan National Writers Workshop (INWW).
Dimacali, the first Filipino to obtain a master of science journalism degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), served as speaker and one of the panelists during the writers workshop.
The workshop participant, a writer from Cebu, filed rape and sexual harassment cases against Dimacali but these were dismissed by the Prosecutor’s Office in Iligan City.
In its charge sheet, the QC court said the Chi “unlawfully and maliciously imputed the commission of the crime of rape with the intention of causing dishonor, discredit or contempt on the person of the complainant.”
The accused was brought to the San Pedro Police Station in Davao City for medical examination and booking procedure. It is not readily known if Chi has posted the P30,000 bail imposed by the court for her temporary liberty.
