The Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Dapa, Surigao del Norte, issued a warrant of arrest for celebrity singer-vlogger Yeng Constantino related to a cyber libel case filed against her in 2019.
The court order issued on December 12, 2019, was forwarded to the Quezon City Police chief. It accused Yeng Constantino of violating Sec 4 (c)(4) of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act. It states, “the unlawful or prohibited acts of libel as defined in Article 355 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended, committed through a computer system or any other similar means which may be devised in the future.”
Constantino’s bail was set at P30,000.
Surigao del Norte 1st District Representative Bingo Matugas posted a copy of the order on his official Facebook page, along with a screenshot of a report from Pep.ph.
“In line with my statement supporting our island doctor, Dr. Esterlina Tan, against cyberbullying, this shows that finally, justice is about to be served. Finally, our good doctor will be vindicated. #NoToCyberbullying #JusticeforDrEsterlinaTan,” Matugas’ post reads.
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Surigao del Norte court orders arrest of Yeng Constantino
Constantino was accused of “doctor shaming” in July 2019 after she posted on her vlog about her husband’s accident after cliff-diving in Siargao’s Sugba Lagoon.
She showed on her vlog how her husband Yan had memory loss after the accident and how they were referred to Del Carmen Hospital for initial emergency care. But when they arrived at the hospital, they were told to go to Dapa Siargao Hospital since Del Carmen lacks equipment.
Yeng then criticized one of the doctors at Dapa Siargao Hospital, Esterlina Tan, saying she did not show urgency in treating her husband. She also said the doctor did not update her on Yan’s condition.
She repeatedly mentioned Tan’s name and flashed a photo of the doctor in her vlog. Netizens then accused Yeng of “doctor shaming” after she released the video.
Yeng since took down the video and apologized on July 22, 2019, saying, “I would like to apologize to Dr. Esterlina Tan and the other medical staff for the hurt that my post and vlog has caused them.”