VETERAN Filipino journalist, author, and columnist Philip Lustre Jr. was arrested by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) on Saturday morning, October 24, 2026, acting on an active cyberlibel warrant issued by a Davao City court.
Lustre, 72, was apprehended at approximately 11:10 AM along Scout Borromeo Street by operatives from the Kamuning Police Station 10 Warrant Section, in coordination with the QCPD Anti-Cybercrime and Cyber Patroller and Tracker teams.
The arrest took place shortly after the veteran writer attended the regularly conducted Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant.
According to police, the warrant of arrest stemmed from an alleged violation of Section 4(c)(4) of Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, issued by Branch 10 of the Regional Trial Court in Davao City.
Speaking to reporters following his apprehension, Lustre expressed defiance and stated he was completely unaware of who filed the complaint or which specific article triggered the action.
“Hindi ko alam kung sino ang complainant, [taga] Davao City raw ang complainant,” Lustre told media. “Ilalaban ko ito, hindi ko uurungan ito.”
Lustre’s legal counsel, Atty. Dino De Leon, noted that his client had no prior knowledge of the pending case before the police intervention.
De Leon stated that the defense team intends to post the ₱48,000 bail and formally petition for the reopening of the preliminary investigation.
Lustre boasts a decades-long career in journalism spanning over 50 years, having written for numerous publications including the Philippine Free Press and Police Files Tonite.
He is also a vocal critic of the Duterte administration and the author of Kill, Kill, Kill: Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines Crimes Against Humanity v. Rodrigo Duterte Et. Al.
QCPD Acting District Director Police Brigadier General Christopher Olazo emphasized that the operation was executed in accordance with due process.
The accused was brought to Kamuning Station 10 for standard booking, medical examinations, and temporary detention pending court proceedings.
