Veteran DZRH anchor Misael “Boy” Gonzales Jr. was released on Thursday, 12 March, after being arrested by the Manila Police District, following the complaint filed by Manila City councilor Rosalino Ibay Jr.
In a recent Facebook post, Gonzales was seen standing at the entrance of MBC Media Group, the multimedia company that aired DZRH.
11 March, the Manila Police District (MPD) arrested the broadcaster around 10:50 AM outside the Department of Justice, along Padre Faura Street in Manila.
The incident stemmed from a complaint filed by Manila Councilor Ibay, who claimed that Gonzalez violated the Data Privacy and Cybercrime Prevention Act after obtaining and publishing a copy of his arrest warrant due to a case involving him with a minor.
“The arrest of a journalist over a report anchored on official documents raises serious concerns about the potential chilling effect on press freedom and the ability of media practitioners to report on matters involving public officials and allegations of wrongdoing,” the National Press Club (NPC) said.
However, the case against the broadcaster is bailable to PHP18,000 as deliberated recently on DZRH’s Dos por Dos program.
Meanwhile, the Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) issued an official statement affirming its support for Gonzalez and its commitment to ethical, responsible, and accurate journalism.