THE Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office has dismissed five counts of cyber libel filed against blocktime radio commentator Edward Ligas.
The complainant was businessman and contractor Jerome Awit, owner of ZLREJ Trading and Construction Corp.
In a 14-page joint resolution dated Nov. 19, 2025, prosecutors found no probable cause to indict Ligas for violation of Section 4(c)(4) of Republic Act (RA) 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
In an interview with SunStar Superbalita Cebu, Ligas described the dismissal as a victory not only for himself but also for residents of Mandaue City who have spoken out against corrupt officials and substandard public projects.
Ligas said he and his lawyer, Don Anthony Eballe, had long believed the complaints filed by Awit lacked basis and were intended to harass him.
The cases stemmed from Ligas’s radio program and social media posts criticizing a riprap project in Barangay Maguikay, Mandaue City, that collapsed on Oct. 29, 2024. Ligas had described the project as substandard.
He also questioned several multimillion-peso flood control projects in the city.
According to documents obtained by Ligas, ZLREJ Trading and Construction Corp. secured 20 contracts in the 6th District with a combined value of P1.4 billion.
Ligas alleged that Awit colluded with Lone District Rep. Lollipop Ouano-Dizon in filing the cases against him. / GPL