Revilla eyes cyber-libel case vs social media personalities
LOSING Senatorial candidate Ramon “Bong” B. Revilla, Jr. plans to file cyber-libel complaints against social media personalities for alleged proliferation of fake news regarding his involvement on the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam, his lawyer said on Monday.
“After consulting with his family, Senator Revilla has decided to defend his and the family’s reputation by exercising the legal remedies for people whose reputations are harmed through online platforms,” Raymond A. Fortun, the legal counsel of Mr. Revilla told reporters at a news briefing, without specifying names.
He added that certain individuals and group continued to vilify the outgoing Senator by spreading fake posts that he had been convicted and ordered by the Sandiganbayan to return P124.5 million
The social media posts were meant to “damage” the Senator’s “good name and reputation,” he said, adding it affected Mr. Revilla’s standing in the 2025 midterm elections.
Mr. Revilla had lost his bid for re-election placing 14th with 11.98 million votes, according to official tallies from the Commission on Elections.
“We need to file a case against those people, and they should be held accountable for this. Because we cannot fool the people, the truth needs to be told,” Mr. Revilla said in a phone call with reporters.
The Senator alleges that these social media personalities have spread false claims regarding his involvement in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam, where public funds were funneled to bogus projects from 2004 to 2012.
The senator was charged with 16 counts of graft and corruption by the Sandiganbayan and earning P224.5 million in kickbacks through the pork barrel scam. The antigraft court, in 2021 and 2018, acquitted Mr. Revilla of all graft cases.
Mr. Fortun added that the senator intends to file five to 10 cyber-libel complaints against the social media personalities within the week.
“Senator Revilla will be filing the appropriate charges specifically cyber libel against certain individuals…(He) will be coordinating with the (National Bureau of Investigation) to find out the bona fides of these people,” he said. — Adrian H. Halili
