Fellow celebrities expressed support for Enchong Dee who his lawyers said is willing to follow due process amid the cyber libel case filed against him.
The actor on Tuesday greeted the public a “Happy Chinese New Year” on an Instagram Story and accompanied his post with a statement from his lawyers in relation to the P1 billion cyber libel case filed by a lawmaker.
“Contrary to certain media reports, Enchong Dee has been attending to his professional and personal commitments in the past couple of days and has not made any attempts to evade arrest,” the statement from the Castillo Laman Tan Pantaleon and San Jose Law Offices said.
“More importantly, as a show of respect for the rule of law, he voluntarily submitted himself to the authorities and posted bail. Moving forward, Enchong will take all the appropriate and necessary legal steps to defend himself against the pending lawsuit,” it added.
Enchong also shared his legal counsel’s statement on an Instagram post.
View this post on Instagram
He also shared Instagram Stories of him attending to his showbiz commitments such as the “Pinoy Big Brother’s The Big Online 10Dahan.”
“Working from home ang mga kasabawers at kuans sa masayang Chinese New Year,” the actor wrote.
What happened?
Enchong posted P48,000 as bail after voluntarily submitting himself to the National Bureau of Investigation VTech Tower in Quezon City on Monday.
Last December, he was indicted for cyber libel after posting a now-deleted tweet criticizing Rep. Claudine Diana Bautista-Lim (Drivers United for Mass Progress and Equal Rights (DUMPER) Party-list) over her perceived extravagant wedding.
“The money for commuters and drivers went to her wedding. Let’s not prolong this conversation and don’t say otherwise,” the actor wrote last August.
The lawmaker was criticized on social media before after pictures of her wedding at the exclusive Balesin Island Club circulated following Michael Cinco’s posts.
The Dubai-based fashion designer created her wedding gown.
Bautista-Lim received backlash for having a wedding at a time when many in the transport sector, particularly public utility vehicle drivers, were suffering from reduced income because of strict lockdown measures to control COVID-19 transmission.
Apart from Enchong, Agot Isidro and Pokwang reportedly criticized the wedding as well.
The lawmaker said that they had intended to keep the wedding private, arguing that the event was “supposed to be separate from my life as a public servant.”
“My husband has been planning this special day with me for years even before the pandemic, and it pains us to see how things after our wedding turned out,” Bautista-Lim said before.
“My husband is a kind and loving person and all he wanted was to give me the wedding of my dreams,” she added.
Bautista-Lim also said that the wedding was a “product of [her] husband’s hard work.” She is married to Jose “Tracker” Lim IV, the son of the owner of Toyota Davao.
Enchong later deleted the tweet and issued an apology for his “reckless” remarks.
“I have been reckless in the tweet I posted and I take full responsibility for my lapse in judgment,” he said a few days after posting the tweet.
“I reacted based on impulse without thinking of the consequences nor the harm it may cause,” the actor added.
Despite this, a cyber libel complaint was filed against Enchong as the solon said that the actor’s tweet was “malicious” and “defamatory.”
Enchong’s fellow celebrities offered their support after he shared updates about the incident on Instagram.
Some commented folding hands emojis to extend prayers while others shared a series of heart emojis.
Among the celebrities who commented were Jasmine Curtis, Ria Atayde, Eula Valdez, Angel Locsin, Erich Gonzales and Agot.
Cherry Pie Picache and Mylen Dizon also commented a flexed biceps emoji on Enchong’s post.
As of writing, there is still no date for Enchong’s arraignment.
