A social media personality accused of spreading false information about the health of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been released on bail after a Pasay court accepted his bond amounting to P36,000, his legal counsel confirmed Tuesday.
Atty. Mark Tolentino, lawyer for Eric Celiz, said the bail posting before the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 119 effectively places his client under the legal custody of the court. “Following the approval and acceptance of the bail bond by the Court, Ka Eric is deemed under the custody of the law by virtue of such bail,” he said.
Tolentino further noted that the accepted bail forecloses any lawful basis for Celiz’s arrest in connection with the same case. “Accordingly, there exists no legal basis for his arrest in connection with the same case while the bail remains valid and subsisting,” he added.
Celiz faces a charge of unlawful publication before Branch 119, stemming from a complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation in February over content he allegedly published on his YouTube channel.
A separate cyberlibel case against Celiz is also pending before Pasay RTC Branch 111, adding to the legal exposure he currently faces.
Tolentino expressed his client’s commitment to the judicial process. “We remain committed to the rule of law and to the faithful observance of all constitutional guarantees, including the presumption of innocence and the right to due process,” he said.
