Negros Occidental journalist arrested over ‘satirical poem’

CEBU, Philippines – Negros Occidental police arrested journalist Erwin “Ambo” Delilan on Monday, February 16, for unjust vexation in relation to a poem criticizing the provincial government’s actions in the aftermath of Typhoon Tino (Kaelmegi) in late 2025.

This is the second time that Delilan was arrested on charges of unjust vexation during the year. The first was on January 19, which stemmed from a complaint filed by Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Reyfrando Diaz II.

“Yes, I must be candid, I was arrested by operatives of the Regional Anti-Cyber Crime Unit (RACU), Monday, February 16, but posted P6,000 bail (for 3 counts at P2,000/each) immediately,” Delilan said on his Facebook post on Tuesday, February 17.

Based on the information filed before the Regional Trial Branch 62 in Bago City, Negros Occidental, the basis of the latest unjust vexation complaint was Delilan’s social media post on November 28, 2025, that “wilfully and unlawfully annoyed” and vexed private complainant Charina Magallanes Tan.

Tan is the provincial information officer of Negros Occidental and executive assistant to Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose “Bong” Lacson. Delilan told Rappler on Tuesday afternoon that Tan is also a witness in his previous unjust vexation case.

“They would like to demean me publicly by filing these [cases of] unjust vexation because they could not, not even prosecutors, prove the libelousness [of the post],” Delilan said in a phone interview.

Delilan, a contributor to Rappler and manager of Bacolod City-based radio station Hapi FM, is known for his Binalaybay — a term for Hiligaynon poems — on his social media page that serves as his commentaries on issues like corruption in government.

Delilan explained that the complaint referred to his satire poem entitled Asin sa Pilas, Binalaybay ni Ambo, which translates to “salt on wound, poem by Ambo.”

In the poem, Delilan criticized the Negros Occidental governor for boasting the millions of pesos earned in taxes and fees from quarrying operations in the province amid doubts that the same quarrying contributed to severe floods there during the wake of Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi).

“Did [his] info officer, Cha-Cha Magallanes Tan, brief the governor on the pros and cons or  impact of the story re: quarry? Is Magallanes Tan aware of an idiomatic expression adding salt to the wound?” the court information cited from the poem.

For this, Tan accused Delilan of unjust vexation through information and communications technology. On Monday, February 16, at around 9 am, authorities served an arrest warrant against Delilan at his home in EB Magalona town, Negros Occidental.

Harassment

For Delilan, the filing of the case and serving of a warrant without being informed of the charge was a form of harassment.

“Again, I was not subpoenaed. Again, I was not given a chance to file my counter affidavit, or undergo preliminary investigation to air out my side/defense,” the journalist said.

Jonathan de Santos, chairperson of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), expressed concern over the case, highlighting the alarming nature of the complaint.

“More troubling is the apparent lack of due process in not even knowing he was being charged,” the NUJP chairperson told Rappler.

Previously, the NUJP said that the first case of unjust vexation filed against Delilan was “pure intimidation, harassment to silence him and the entire press.”

This time, the journalist disclosed that they will be filing a case against his accusers before the Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday, February 18.

“Since this is now a case before the Regional Trial Court Branch 62 in Bago City, Negross Occidental, I have no choice but to fight it out,” Delilan said on Tuesday morning. – Rappler.com