Manila court orders arrest of Top Gear PH’s former editor-in-chief

The Manila Regional Trial Court has ordered the arrest of former Top Gear Philippines editor-in-chief Vernon Sarne over cyber-libel charges.

Branch 12 of the court released a warrant of arrest for Sarne for wrongfully identifying a person as the gunman in a 2016 shooting incident.

The complaint was filed in 2016 by Nestor Punzalan after he was wrongfully identified by Top Gear Philippines as the person behind the shooting of a cyclist in Quiapo.

The court has recommended a P10,000 bail.

The Department of Justice had earlier found probable cause to indict Sarne for cyber-libel.

Sarne, who resigned from Top Gear Philippines after the incident, had previously declined to comment on the DOJ resolution. Top Gear Philippines also declined to give a statement.