MANILA: Lawyer Manases Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, was the complainant in the cyberlibel case that led to the arrest of veteran journalist Philip Lustre Jr. over the weekend.
The case stemmed from a Facebook post published on March 6, 2026, through an account named “Philip Jr Lustre,” according to a court document provided by lawyer Dino De Leon.
The post read: “Did Mans Carpio cough up P300 million for the Marines’ operation: P150 million to Mike, P50 million to Levi, and P5 million each to the 18 Marines?”
Based on the court information, the written statement “taken in its plain, natural, and ordinary meaning, directly imputes upon Atty. Manases R. Carpio.”
“We will confront this case properly and we receive our client’s right to file the appropriate counter-charges,” De Leon told the Inquirer in a Viber message on Monday (Oct 26).
In a phone interview with the Inquirer, Lustre confirmed that Carpio was the complainant. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
