KINGDOM of Jesus Christ (KOJC) chief legal counsel, Atty. Israelito Torreon has strongly condemned the criminal complaint filed against him by the Philippine National Police (PNP), calling it a “brazen attempt to harass, silence, and intimidate” him for exercising his constitutional rights.
Filed on April 30, 2025, at the Hall of Justice in Ecoland, the complaint accuses Torreon and vlogger Elizabeth Joie Cruz, also known as Joie De Vivre, of spreading false information online. The case, docketed as INV-25-D-1884, cites alleged violations of Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code about Section 6 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, which penalizes the publication of false news and online misinformation.
In a public statement, Torreon described the charges as “malicious and unfounded,” asserting that he has not committed any crime.
“I vehemently condemn the filing of a patently baseless and malicious criminal complaint against me,” he said. He pledged to fight the charges, warning that the case sets a dangerous precedent for silencing dissent and curbing constitutional freedoms in the Philippines.
The complaint, submitted by Police Lt. Col. Michael Seguido of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) and received by Prosecutor Maria Estrella Dulla-Valles, stems from social media posts made by Torreon and Cruz. These posts allegedly discussed a leaked memo directing Davao City police officers to wear red civilian clothing during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s campaign rally in Carmen, Davao del Norte, on February 15. The memo also reportedly instructed officers to prevent disruptions tied to Duterte supporters.
In response, the Police Regional Office–Davao Region (PRO-Davao) denied any political bias.
PRO-Davao spokesperson Maj. Catherine Dela Rey explained that the red attire was a covert identification measure requested by the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and that the deployment was routine. She said that the PNP remains apolitical and non-partisan.
PRO-Davao Regional Director Brig. Gen. Leon Victor Rosete commended the collaboration between the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU 11) and DCPO in filing the case. He reiterated the PNP’s commitment to combating misinformation and abuse of digital platforms.
Torreon, however, argued that the real threat lies not in the alleged spread of misinformation but in the use of legal mechanisms to suppress legitimate criticism.
“Today it is me. Tomorrow it could be any one of you,” he said, expressing concern for democratic freedoms and legal due process.
Earlier this week, PRO-Davao held a special press conference where Rosete addressed the spread of alleged fake news by pro-Duterte online supporters. He reiterated that spreading false information, particularly content that incites public panic or damages reputations, is punishable under multiple laws—including Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code (as amended by Republic Act No. 10951) and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (RA 10175), which imposes harsher penalties for digital offenses such as cyber libel. DEF