Philip Lustre asks SC to move Carpio complaint from Davao to QC

MANILA, Philippines — Veteran journalist Philip Lustre Jr. has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to transfer to Quezon City the cyberlibel complaint filed against him by lawyer Manases Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Lustre, 72, said his lawyers filed a motion before the SC on Friday, seeking to move the proceedings from Davao City, where the complaint was filed, to Quezon City, where he resides.

The transfer of venue is being sought “to avoid a miscarriage of justice and to safeguard his constitutional right to life, security, personal safety, and a fair and impartial trial.”

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Lustre’s lawyers also mentioned the “political dominance” of Carpio’s family in Davao City.

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The lawyers noted that members of the Duterte family have held the city’s mayoral post for more than three decades. They also pointed to Lustre’s history of criticizing the family, including through his book, “Kill, Kill, Kill,” which examines the administration’s anti-drug campaign.

The arrest order was for the case connected to the anti-drug campaign conducted by the older Duterte’s administration, which observers said resulted in numerous human rights violations.

READ: Journo sued for libel won’t stop book on VP Duterte

“Given his public criticism of the family and the family’s significant political influence in Davao City, Philip has legitimate grounds to believe that his personal safety and security, as well as that of his counsel and witnesses, may be threatened and compromised if he is required to stand trial there,” the lawyers said.

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‘Impartiality, fair administration of justice’

Lustre’s camp also emphasized that Davao City prosecutor Jhopee Salvador Avanceña who approved the resolution and Information against the journalist, is reportedly the first cousin of ex-Pres. Duterte’s common-law partner Honeylet Avanceña.

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“This familial connection raises legitimate questions regarding the appearance of impartiality, particularly in light of the alleged failure to ensure proper service of the subpoena at Philip’s address during the preliminary investigation,” the lawyers said.

“These concerns are further underscored by the circumstances reflected in the Resolution issued by the Office of the City Prosecutor of Davao City. The Resolution states only that Philip ‘failed to submit his counter-affidavit when required to do so,’ without indicating when or how the subpoena was served or establishing that Philip actually received it,” they added.

The counsels also reiterated that given Lustre’s age, repeated travel from Quezon City to Davao City to attend the court proceedings “would impose a considerable physical burden.”

“Conducting the proceedings in Quezon City, where the Accused resides, would facilitate his attendance and participation in the trial while minimizing the physical strain associated with long-distance travel,” said Lustre’s camp.

READ: Journalist Lustre on Carpio’s cyberlibel case: ‘I don’t let fear immobilize me’

The lawyers emphasized that Article VIII, Section 5(4) of the 1987 Constitution gives the SC the authority to “order a change of venue or place of trial to avoid a miscarriage of justice.”

The INQUIRER reached out to Carpio’s camp regarding the motion but has yet to receive a response as of this writing.

Lustre was arrested last Oct. 24 by virtue of a cyberlibel arrest warrant issued by a Davao City court. He was released later that day after posting P48,000 bail.

The journalist’s case stemmed from his Facebook post published on March 6, 2026, which read, “Did Mans Carpio cough up P300 million for the Marines’ operation: P150 million to Mike, P50 million to Levi, and P5 million each to the 18 Marines?”

Carpio’s spokesperson, lawyer Neil Abayon recently released a statement, telling Lustre to “not play the victim,” and asserting that the post was “malicious” and “baseless.”

READ: Mans Carpio’s spox to Philip Lustre: Don’t play the victim

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“If he hadn’t posted something malicious and baseless, he wouldn’t be facing a lawsuit,” he said./dp