An arrest warrant was issued on June 8 against Pyra Lucas, a former officer of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), for violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (Republic Act 10175).
Lucas and a companion, a certain Val Estabillo, were said to be in hiding, sources with the VACC said. She was last seen at her residence at 143 Barangay Cacutud, Mabalacat, Pampanga, with her companion said to be staying at Barangay Lawy, Capas, Tarlac.
The arrest warrant was issued by Branch 63 of the Tarlac City Regional Trial Court, 3RD Judicial Region.
Lucas' case stemmed from charges filed by Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan of Capas, Tarlac against her for cyber libel, after Facebook videos and posts allegedly put the official in a bad light as he was being accused of land grabbing and harassing farmers in the town.
Catacutan described the videos and posts as “maligning his person and reputation.”
“Lucas has exploited the use of social media by posting false, baseless and unfounded stories against me and my family,” he said.
The issue stemmed from a property dispute between Catacutan and some farmers cultivating government land within Camp O’Donnel, a military reservation area that was converted into a resettlement area after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the 1990s.
Lucas, a self-proclaimed anti-corruption crusader, was kicked out by the VACC last April.
In its Board Resolution No. 3, the VACC said it “expelled and removed (Lucas) as member and as Central Luzon (Region 3) coordinator.”
The resolution added that Lucas was "prohibited, banned and barred from representing herself as member and regional coordinator of the organization from using and invoking VACC in any and all her activities or endeavors, and from acting and representing in behalf of the organization, its officers and members.”
The expulsion and ban stemmed from a complaint filed with the VACC by spouses Paul and Erlinda Santos, who claimed that Lucas had offered her services for P2.2 million to “facilitate the favorable and expeditious disposition of the Petition for Review filed by their son, Rurik Earl, before the DOJ for rape.”
Lucas reportedly received P1.2 million, which was given to her in three installments on July 24, August 22 and September 11, 2017, but the couple said she failed to deliver.
“Pyra Lucas has failed to return the money she received and has put the organization in bad light,” the VACC resolution stated.