Coast Guard spox Tarriela sues vlogger for cyberlibel
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela, the official PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, filed before the Manila Prosecutor’s Office on Friday a cyberlibel complaint against Alan Troy Sasot, known online as Sass Rogando Sasot.
“For me, spreading fake news, misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms should really be addressed by filing cases to challenge these kinds of posts,” Tarriela said, adding that the case should prompt Sasot to prove her allegations.
In his complaint, Tarriela claimed that Sasot defamed him when she falsely claimed that the commodore “received bags of money” from Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, then Speaker, and a “talent fee” from the United States.
Tarriela said he has no financial motivation for defending the Philippines’ sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea aside from his sworn duty as PCG spokesperson and in accordance with the orders of President Marcos.
Prove it in court
“I really don’t know where she’s getting this from, or if it was dictated to her while she was in Beijing. I don’t know. But for me, these information that she posted on social media need to be refuted,” Tarriela said.
“[By] challenging Ms. Sassot in court … [she is compeled] to produce evidence that what she posted were factual and true. I think this is the proper way,” he added.
This is not the first time a cyberlibel case was filed against Sasot.
In March, former finance Undersecretary Cielo Magno sued her for claiming that lawmakers paid Magno to testify in a congressional probe that spurious names, including “Mary Grace Piattos,” were found in the disbursement list of funds in the control of Vice President Sara Duterte. INQ
The testimony, which was deposed just days after several social media personalities received a scolding in Congress for being purveyors of “fake news,” led to the impeachment of the Vice President. Sasot was summoned to the hearing, but she did not show up.
Three of the vloggers who attended the hearing last week were forced to publicly apologize under intense questioning by the panel members after failing to produce proof to support their controversial posts.
Magno’s 12-page complaint filed before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office accused Sasot of posting “malicious, demeaning and defamatory imputations” of bribery and corruption in connection with various issues hounding the Vice President.
