A panel of prosecutors in Davao Occidental has formally indicted actor Enchong Dee over a cyber-libel complaint filed by a party-list congresswoman who received massive backlash on social media for her July 26 wedding at the luxurious Balesin Island Resort in Polilio, Quezon.

On December 28, Congresswoman Claudine Diana Bautista-Lim, party-list representative of Drivers United for Mass Progress and Equal Rights or DUMPER, filed the case for violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 against the actor, whose real name Ernest Lorenzo Velasquez Dee, following his 'malicious and destructive comments' he made through his Twitter account about her wedding that was seen by many as lavish.

Meanwhile, complaints against six personalities, including celebrities Agot Isidro, Pokwang, and Ogie Diaz, who also tweeted about it, were dismissed, noting that it was only freedom of expression, unlike Enchong, who said the funds used in the lavish wedding were from the party list DUMPER.

Three other individuals, Deedee Marie Holliday, Kristina Mae Misajon, and Jane Doe, were also acquitted in the said case.

“Considering that these tweets are mere expressions of disapproval (or disgust, if you may) at varying degrees on the action, this Office could not attribute malice and ill motive to the said respondents who have taken upon themselves to be the so-called watchdogs of our society,” said part of the resolution approved by Davao Occidental Provincial Prosecutor Marte Melchor Velasco.

Prosecutors, however, said Dee imputed a crime – malversation of public funds – against Lim at a time when there was a COVID-19 pandemic “which peremptorily makes the complainant a soft target for heavy criticIsm and pillory, placing her thereby in a bad light due to such reckless and irresponsible tweet of the respondent.”

They said Dee’s imputation that Bautista-Lim was a thief “cannot also be considered within the purview of qualifiedly privileged communications.”