Revilla sets cyberlibel raps over ‘disinfo campaign’
Credit to Author: Neil Jayson Servallos| Date: Tue, 27 May 2025 00:00:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — Outgoing Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. will file cyberlibel complaints against those allegedly behind a disinformation campaign that he believes cost him a spot in the Magic 12 of the 2025 Senate race, his lawyer said yesterday.
Raymond Fortun, Revilla’s legal counsel, said the lawmaker’s camp is currently preparing complaints against five to 10 people for spreading false information about him two weeks before the midterm elections.
“Right now, we already have the materials and, within the week, we will submit these to the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) for proper coordination. During the same period, the complaints will have been drafted, and the only thing we’re waiting on are the bona fides of these individuals – their true names and addresses,” Fortun said at a press conference.
He added that the NBI is working to identify the owners of the accounts behind the alleged disinformation and that the complaints would likely be filed “anytime by next week or two weeks from now.”
Revilla, in a statement, said the attacks centered on his dismissed plunder case before the Sandiganbayan involving the alleged misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund.
He emphasized that he had been “falsely charged” and denied claims that he was convicted and ordered to return P124.5 million.
Fortun cited one particular piece of fake content: a doctored social media quote card.
While it correctly quoted Revilla as promising to author a bill making plunder punishable by death, it falsely added a statement he never made: “Pero ‘di ko pa rin isasauli ‘yung P124 million. Manigas kayo.”
“These evil-minded individuals and groups succeeded in their plan, but they will be made to answer for their misdeeds before the courts of law,” he said.
Revilla ran under the administration’s Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate, which faced off against former president Rodrigo Duterte’s coalition. However, Fortun clarified that Revilla’s team does not believe the Duterte camp was behind the attacks.
He also stressed that Revilla is not contesting the outcome of the elections.
“He accepted the decision made by the Filipino people (that) he is not one of the 12 chosen. But what he regrets is that the reason he wasn’t elected was because a significant number of Filipinos believed he was involved in government anomalies and that he owed the Filipino people P124 million,” said Fortun.