Authorities confirm that retired broadcaster and columnist Jay Sonza was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for alleged syndicated and large-scale illegal recruitment.
The NBI explains that he had been temporarily arrested by Bureau of Immigration officials last July. Sonza was said to have been on his way to a flight to Hong Kong at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
It was then that he was stopped by immigration officials and subsequently detained. He was said to have had a pending estafa case at the time. But more than that, there was apparently an active warrant against him for syndicated and large-scale illegal recruitment.
Sonza was then transferred to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology following the chain of events. He cannot post bail for syndicated or large-scale illegal recruitment.
The ex-TV host had been a prominent celebrity reporter, station manager, and award-winning newscaster before he became a social media personality and troll during the Duterte administration.
He had been a blogger who had openly operated as a Diehard Duterte Supporter, joining the likes of Mark Lopez, Krizette Chu, and others.
In the past, he has been criticized for peddling fake news and using inflammatory rhetoric directed at the government's critics, former vice president Leonor "Leni" Robredo, as well as other celebrities.
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Jay Sonza had quite a career in the media industry in the '90s and early 2000s. He served as a host for ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation from 1987 to 1995, most notably for the program Mel and Jay, together with then-co-host Carmela "Mel" Tiangco. The show would be adapted by GMA and he'd be replaced by Joey De Leon soon after.
Sonza would work for the network until 2004 as its supervising producer and consultant, aside from his hosting duties. In the evenings, he had Tapatan with Jay Sonza and Saksi. He would go on to become station manager of UNTV 37 after, featured in shows like Get It Straight and Ito ang Balita.
He was also an editor for People's Daily Forum and a correspondent of the Philippine News Agency, and Mindanao Daily Mirror, among other titles.Sonza had been a contributing editor and columnist for the Manila Times, Hot News, and Abante, too.
Apart from these, he had become president and general manager of Smart Promotions Inc., advertising director of Creative Technics Inc., and an information officer for the Commission on Population of Region XI.
During his day, he bagged several awards, including the PMPC Star Awards for Television, the Outstanding Journalist Award by the Rotary Club of Manila, and a Catholic Mass Media Award for Public Service.
As a politician, he filed for candidacy for senator under Aksyon Demokratiko back in 2004, but lost. He would be nominated as a member of BATAS party list in 2007. Three years later, he ran as vice president in the 2010 elections himself, under the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan. He would lose, as well.