Davao City judge behind arrest warrants for Duterte critics Lustre and Bello

A Davao City trial court judge, Retrina Espe Fuentes, issued the arrest warrant for veteran journalist Philip Lustre Jr. in a cyber libel case. She also signed the 2022 warrant against another Duterte critic, former vice presidential candidate Walden Bello, Rappler reported.

Fuentes is the presiding judge of the Davao City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 10, based on the Supreme Court's tracker. The court is at the Benigno Aquino Hall of Justice in Matina. According to the Philippine Judicial Academy Bulletin, she was the city's 1st vice executive judge in 2016, when Presiding Judge Emmanuel Carpio was executive judge. Rappler noted that Emmanuel Carpio is the uncle of lawyer Mans Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte. Fuentes later served as executive judge from 2022 to 2024, Supreme Court spokesperson Camille Sue Mae Ting said. The post is now held by Judge Rowena M. Apao Adlawan.

Lustre, 72, was arrested by the Quezon City Police District on Saturday, October 24, while attending the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City. He posted bail of P48,000 shortly after midnight on October 25, after nearly a day in detention. His lawyer, Dino de Leon, told Rappler that Mans Carpio is the complainant. The charge sheet alleges that a Facebook post by Lustre imputed bribery or corruption to Carpio, a Davao City resident.

Lustre wrote a book on extrajudicial killings under former president Rodrigo Duterte's drug war. He said he plans to release a new book on the Vice President, who is facing an impeachment trial.

In the Bello case, former Davao City information officer Jefry Tupas filed a cyber libel complaint in 2022 over social media posts allegedly calling him a drug addict and dealer. Bello was arrested in August 2022 on two counts and freed after posting P48,000 bail for each. He called the case "clearly a politically-motivated move." He later petitioned the Supreme Court to decriminalize libel. In February this year, he apologized to Tupas, saying his statements were "unfounded."

Rappler also reported that Fuentes ordered the 2019 arrest of an Italian national over alleged possession of child sexual abuse materials. In September, she issued a warrant for a man wanted for rape.