Chavit arrested, released on bail over cyberlibel

BOOKED The police released these blurred mugshots of former Gov. Luis "chavit" Singson following his arrest.

Former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson was arrested on Thursday afternoon on a cyberlibel charge, according to a police report obtained by the Inquirer.

The report said Singson was arrested past 1 p.m. at his residence in a gated subdivision in Barangay Ugong Norte, Quezon City.

Following the arrest, the 84-year-old businessman was brought to Police Station 12 for booking, documentation, and other legal procedures.

The arrest was carried out on the strength of a warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court of Vigan City, Branch 21, for alleged violation of Section 4(c)(4) in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. The warrant was dated June 10, 2026, and issued by Judge Marie Gene Cecille Umali.

Singson immediately posted bail of P60,000 and was released on the same day.

He last served as the mayor of Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, from 2019 to 2022.

Court and police records obtained by the Inquirer did not identify the complainant or disclose the statements that gave rise to the cyberlibel charge.

As of Thursday evening, authorities had yet to release details of the complaint, including when it was filed and whether it stemmed from social media posts, online videos or other digital content.