Just found out that a schoolmate and batchmate, Gemma Bagayaua-Mendoza, was arrested and jailed for libel. I didn’t know libel is an arrestable charge here. And it doesn’t even have to be proven that you’re guilty in court. Someone can just file libel charges at you and the police will come knocking on– or worse, kicking down– your door and arrest you. This in a country supposedly where free speech is allowed. To add insult to injury, she wasn’t able to post bail and leave the jail right away because the office in charge of the precinct was not around. More here.