Former TV host Jay Sonza has posted ₱10,000 bail after a Pasay court ordered his release in connection with charges over alleged false information on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s health.
According to his lawyer Mark Tolentino, the Pasay Regional Trial Court Branch 118 issued a release order following the posting of bail.
“We welcome this development and are taking the necessary steps to secure his immediate release,” Tolentino said.
Sonza has been detained at the National Bureau of Investigation facility in Muntinlupa City since his arrest last week in Quezon City.
He faces charges of unlawful use of means of publication and unlawful utterances under Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
His arraignment did not push through after his camp filed a motion to quash, arguing that the case is legally defective.
Tolentino said the complaint failed to establish proper jurisdiction in Pasay and questioned the NBI’s authority to act as complainant.
“It is neither the offended party nor possessed of personal knowledge required under the law… the case is legally infirm and subject to dismissal,” he said.
The lawyer also revealed that the court had apologized for initially issuing a warrant described as “non-bailable,” which he earlier called “highly irregular.”
“The Honorable Court clarified that the offense is bailable as a matter of right,” Tolentino said, adding that the error was attributed to issues with the court’s online system.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag said the agency promptly returned the warrant to allow the court to clarify its nature.
“They can raise that as a defense but eventually the court will say kung tama o mali,” Matibag said, declining to comment further on the legal arguments.
Sonza is also facing a separate cyberlibel case before another Pasay court branch, where his camp said it is prepared to post bail if a warrant is issued.
The next hearing for the case is set on June 3, 2026.
