Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday, July 9, filed criminal complaints for cyber-libel at the Department of Justice (DOJ) against several individuals, including known political vloggers, involved in the making or dissemination of a malicious retraction video featuring a former Senate witness.
Hontiveros lodged a similar lawsuit last week before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). The case involved Michael Maurillo, alias ‘Rene,’ who recanted his earlier statements in an inquiry led by the senator on allegations leveled against megachurch leader Apollo Quiboloy.
According to Hontiveros’ office, the first libel complaint seeks to make Maurilio legally accountable for actively participating in the video containing multiple falsehoods against the senator in relation to the Senate’s investigation on Quiboloy’s alleged crimes.
Named as respondents in the second compliant are internet media personalities Byron ‘Banat By’ Cristobal, Krizette Chu, Alex ‘Tio Moreno’ Destor, Jay Sonza, and Jeffrey ‘Ka Eric’ Celiz, as well as lawyer Ferdinand Topacio.
They were accused of amplifying the lies of Maurilio and made their respective false claims against Hontiveros. The political vloggers have been accused by other individuals multiple times of engaging in organized disinformation campaigns.
