A veteran reporter from radio station DZRH was arrested Wednesday morning after a complaint was filed by a Manila councilor he had previously reported on regarding the issuance of a warrant of arrest against the councilor for lewd conduct involving a minor.
In a report by RH Val Gonzales on DZRH’s Rapido Hataw Balita, reporter Misael Boy Gonzales Jr., 66, is currently under the custody of the police intelligence operations unit of the Manila Police District (MPD).
Gonzales was arrested around 10:50 a.m. on Wednesday outside the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila while performing his duties as a reporter.
“Paglabas ko ng DOJ, sakay na ako ng mobil, paalis na kami papuntang office. Ang nangyari may nagserve na ng warrant sa amin na anim na pulis. Ang sabi may warrant daw, binasahan ako,” Gonzales said in an interview following his arrest.
According to Gonzales’ legal counsel, Atty. Rhina Seco, the arrest stemmed from a complaint filed by Manila councilor Rosalino Ibay Jr., alleging that Gonzales violated Section 25 of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 after publishing a copy of a warrant of arrest.
Seco said that Ibay filed a complaint for libel, cyberlibel, and violation of the Data Privacy Act. The libel and cyberlibel cases were previously dismissed by the prosecutor due to lack of probable cause. However, the Investigating Prosecutor recommended filing charges for violation of the Data Privacy Act.
Seco also mentioned that they have a pending motion for reconsideration on the prosecutor’s resolution regarding the violation of the Data Privacy Act. Later, they received an order from Branch 13 of the Metropolitan Trial Court dismissing the case due to lack of jurisdiction.
However, Seco said they were surprised that a warrant of arrest was unexpectedly issued by the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 20 in connection with the same case while their motion for reconsideration is still pending, citing they only received an order from the Office of the City Prosecutor for the complainant to submit his comment or opposition to the motion.
In his earlier report, Gonzales cited details from a warrant of arrest issued in September 2025 by the Manila RTC Branch 4 against Ibay for alleged lascivious conduct under Section 5(b) of Republic Act No. 7610. The court set bail at ₱400,000.
Previously, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago told reporters that Ibay—who is also a retired police colonel—allegedly brought a 17-year-old girl to a motel in Pasay City.
Santiago also said the councilor allegedly attempted to reach a settlement with the parents of the minor, but the victim’s family refused.
Aside from the Data Privacy Act complaint, Ibay also filed a case for alleged violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 against Gonzales and another reporter from a different station.
However, the court dismissed the cybercrime complaint, citing insufficient evidence and the absence of any legal violation by the reporters.
