Bangkok, July 24, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday called on the Iglesia Ni Cristo religious group to drop its criminal complaint of unjust vexation against journalist Marchel Espina over an opinion piece published by a community news site.
On July 17, Espina, former editor-in-chief of the local SunStar Cebu, voluntarily surrendered to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group–Negros Island Region Field Unit in Bacolod City and posted bail of 6,000 Philippine pesos ($105) at the Regional Trial Court, according to
multiple
news
reports
.
Marchel Espina has been charged with unjust vexation for publishing an opinion piece while editor-in-chief of the local SunStar Cebu (Photo: Courtesy of Altermidya)
A Batangas City court had on July 13 issued a warrant for the arrest of Espina and four others over the article, titled “Demonic Church Meddling in Politics,” contributed to SunStar Cebu in December 2024 while she was in charge of the news outlet, the reports said.
The complainant, Pedro Fajot Castillo, a district supervising minister at
Iglesia Ni Cristo,
an international Christian denomination founded in the Philippines, alleged that the article caused him “annoyance, irritation, torment, distress, and disturbance,”
news
reports
said.
“The unjust vexation case against journalist Marchel Espina is frivolous, a threat to press freedom, and should be dropped immediately,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “This is exactly the kind of legal harassment CPJ has documented again and again in the Philippines — vague, spurious charges used to wear down journalists and chill critical reporting. It should stop here and now.”
Criminal unjust vexation charges, defined under Section 1, Article 287 of the
Revised Penal Code
, carry a maximum sentence of 30 days and a fine of up to 40,000 Philippine pesos. Espina currently serves as a consultant with WAN-IFRA Women in News, a global media development progra
