‘Not guilty,’ Byron Garcia pleads in online sexual harassment case

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Former Cebu Provincial Capitol consultant Byron Garcia pleaded not guilty to three counts of alleged gender-based online sexual harassment filed against him by Dr. Elisse Nicole Catalan.

Garcia entered his plea during his arraignment on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, before the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 1 in Mandaue City.

“I feel di gyud ko guilty sa mga pasangil nila (I feel that I am not guilty of their accusations),” Garcia told reporters.

Catalan, a public health consultant and daughter of Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro, accused Garcia of posting sexist and degrading content about her online.

The complaint cited Republic Act No. 11313, or the Safe Spaces Act, which covers gender-based sexual harassment committed online and in public spaces, workplaces, and educational institutions.

Catalan said in a social media post that she pursued the case to hold perpetrators accountable through the courts and affirm that everyone deserves respect and equal treatment under the law.

Police arrested Garcia in relation to the complaint on June 11, 2026, in Talisay City through a warrant issued by MTCC Branch 1 in Mandaue City.

He later posted ₱108,000 bail for his temporary release.

Cyberlibel case

Garcia is also facing a separate cyberlibel complaint filed by Catalan and her husband, Dr. Janos Vizcayno Jr.

Catalan and Vizcayno attended proceedings involving their cyberlibel cases at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 83 in Mandaue City on July 15, 2026.

During the scheduled hearing, Presiding Judge Allan Francisco Garciano granted Garcia’s motion for reinvestigation.

Garcia’s legal team argued that he was denied due process because he was not properly served a subpoena during the initial preliminary investigation.

READ: Byron Garcia posts bail anew over cyber libel charges

His lawyers said the failure to receive the subpoena prevented Garcia from submitting his counter-affidavit during the proceedings.

The court then ordered the cyberlibel case returned to the Mandaue City Prosecutor’s Office for review.

Garcia and his legal team, however, chose not to seek reinvestigation in the sexual harassment complaint.

“Although the circumstances are the same, wala mi nangayo og reinvestigation ani (We did not request for a reinvestigation in this complaint),” he said.

Garcia is the younger brother of former Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia and previously served as chief of the Cebu provincial jail.

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.