FROM FRIENDS TO FIENDS: Iloilo designer faces cyber libel raps from ex-buddy

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Iloilo-based fashion designer Jose Clement “Jet” Salcedo is facing 11 counts of cyber libel after the Iloilo City Prosecutor’s Office found probable cause in a complaint filed by Andrea Valdez Gorriceta.

In a June 30, 2025 resolution obtained by Daily Guardian, the City Prosecutor ruled that Salcedo’s Facebook posts, made under Salcedo’s verified account “Jet Salcedo” and “Le Jet” satisfied the elements of libel.

The resolution added that the posts were clearly directed at Gorriceta, even if her full name was not explicitly mentioned.

Prosecutors said the posts allegedly described Gorriceta as “a woman of loose morals,” “uneducated,” and “of bad character,” and accused her of attempting to kill her sibling.

These statements, they said, were intended to cast doubt on the complainant’s character and expose her to public ridicule and social contempt.

While Salcedo did not directly name Gorriceta, the resolution noted that the “identification element” of libel was present due to insinuations and details that clearly pointed to her identity.

The posts were publicly accessible and read by several witnesses, fulfilling the publicity requirement for cyber libel, according to the prosecutor.

In his counter-affidavit, Salcedo argued that the posts were not directed at anyone in particular and that the public had misinterpreted their content.

He also claimed he never mentioned any full names, and any assumptions of identity were made by readers.

However, the prosecutor dismissed these arguments, saying they lacked merit and were unsupported by evidence.

Gorriceta told investigators that Salcedo was formerly her friend and had designed gowns and dresses for her in the past.

Their fallout reportedly occurred in July 2023 following a minor travel-related dispute, which allegedly led to the series of Facebook posts at the center of the case.