Catanduanes gov faces cyber libel case over Facebook post

By Jason B. Neola

VIRAC, Catanduanes --- Catanduanes Governor Patrick Alain Azanza has been charged with cyber libel before the Regional Trial Court Branch 93 in Quezon City over statements he made in a Facebook post regarding fuel supply arrangements and electricity rates in the province.

The case, filed on May 6, 2026, accuses Azanza of violating Section 4 of Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, in relation to Articles 353 and 355 of the Revised Penal Code.

The complaint was filed by Powerzone Petroleum Products Corporation, represented by Jeric Cua.

According to the charge sheet, the case stemmed from statements posted by Azanza on his official Facebook account on July 25, 2025, questioning the role of Powerzone in the fuel supply chain serving the province’s electric cooperatives and independent power providers.

In the post, Azanza said he had asked representatives of SUWECO during a public hearing why electricity rates in Catanduanes remained high despite lower fuel prices. He said he was informed that fuel supplied to SUWECO came from Unioil but was being channelled through Powerzone.

The governor further stated that he was surprised by the information because, according to him, Powerzone was owned by the province’s former governor and vice governor. He claimed that Powerzone previously sold gasoline at high prices and questioned whether the company continued to sell fuel to SUWECO at what he described as an exorbitant rate.

Azanza argued in the post that if fuel prices charged to SUWECO remained high, there would be no reason for SUWECO to pass on expensive fuel costs to FICELCO consumers. He also asked why Powerzone could not lower fuel prices to help reduce electricity rates in the province.

The governor likewise raised the possibility of a conflict of interest if, as he alleged, Powerzone was owned by the family of former provincial officials.

The complaint alleged that Azanza’s statements maliciously imputed wrongdoing and suggested that Powerzone and its representative were engaged in manipulating fuel supply arrangements through the influence of family members who previously held public office.

According to the charge sheet, such insinuations tended to destroy the good name and reputation of Cua and exposed him to public contempt, dishonor, and ridicule.

In his affidavit, Cua said Powerzone is engaged in the storage and distribution logistics of petroleum products in Catanduanes and serves exclusively as a fuel storage and logistics facility for Unioil Petroleum Philippines Inc.

He asserted that Unioil maintains a separate contractual agreement with SUWECO, an independent power provider supplying electricity to FICELCO.

Cua further stressed that Powerzone and Unioil are separate entities and that Powerzone has no ownership, management, or business relationship with SUWECO. He also maintained that SUWECO has never purchased fuel products from Powerzone.

In his counter-affidavit, Azanza denied any defamatory intent and maintained that his Facebook post was a legitimate exercise of his duties as governor and part of a broader public discussion on the high cost of electricity in Catanduanes.

He said the statements were made in good faith and were intended to address matters affecting the public interest.

Azanza also invoked constitutional protections for fair comment on matters of public concern and cited the principle of qualified privileged communication as part of his defense.

Citing Republic Act No. 7160, or the Local Government Code, the governor argued that he is mandated to promote and protect the general welfare of the province and that his statements were made in pursuit of that responsibility.

The court has yet to schedule further proceedings in the case.