LOS BAÑOS, Laguna ? The son of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) Chair Efraim Genuino has filed a libel complaint against three men who had been arrested for distributing copies of a tabloid article alleging the use of inmates to register in favor of an unidentified mayoral candidate here.

Anthony ?Ton? Genuino, the Pagcor head?s son, is known to be running for mayor of this town.

On Sunday, policemen Roberto Cansanay and Rodney Marasigan arrested Albert Bernardo, 25; Uldarico Malaguenos, 25; and Christopher B. Buena, 28 at this town?s junction.

Their crime? Libel for distributing photocopies of a tabloid article that reported the herding of inmates from the New Bilibid Prisons to register in favor of the unidentified candidate.

The article said 20 vans brought the inmates to register as voters here. It said the candidate was son of a government official, but didn?t identify him.

Lawyer Melvin Villa, the arrested men?s counsel, said his clients would sue the policemen for arbitrary detention and warrantless arrests.

The younger Genuino?s candidacy has been endorsed by incumbent Mayor Caesar Perez.

Villa quoted the town?s police chief, Supt. Chito Bersaluna, as saying the arrests were made based on a verbal complaint.

?It?s not supposed to be,? said Villa. The lawyer said he learned later that Genuino had filed a written complaint of libel against his clients, but after they were arrested. Inquest proceedings were held on Monday, All Souls? Day.

Sought for comment, Bersaluna said ?there?s no problem with that.?

?The fiscal found the arrest valid,? he said.

Bersaluna said Genuino filed a ?verbal? complaint before the arrests on Sunday, which, he added, became the basis for the arrests. The three posted bail on Wednesday.

Villa said the procedure was highly irregular. ?I never heard of a case of a warrantless arrest for libel,? he said.

He also said that in libel cases, the material over which anyone was being sued should be first proven to be libelous.

He said he was unaware if Genuino also sued the tabloid and the article?s writer for libel. ?It?s odd,? he said.

Genuino could not be reached for comment. Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon