Senator Risa Hontiveros formally filed a criminal complaint before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against Michael Maurillo and six others on Wednesday, July 9.
According to her social media post, a cyber libel complaint was filed against Maurillo alias Rene, the person who claimed that Hontiveros had paid him to lie before the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality hearing last year.
“Ngayong umaga, naghain naman po ako ng kaso dito sa Department of Justice (DOJ). kaso po, isa, laban kay Michael Maurillo at yung isa namang kaso, laban sa anim na vloggers,” Hontiveros said.
“Sinusubukan nilang ibaon ang mga totoong kwento ng mga taong ito at ng mga taong tumutulong sa kanila. Pero ibahin niyo ko, hinding-hindi nila pwedeng gawin ito sa mga taong ito,” she added.
Apart from Maurillo, the Senator also filed a complaint against six personalities, namely: Byron Cristobal alias Banat By, Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz, Krizette “Kiffy” Chu, Jay Sonza, Alex Distor alias Tio Moreno, and Atty. Ferdinand Topacio.
Hontiveros stated that her legal team suggested that cyber libel is the appropriate case to file, considering that the mentioned personalities were reckless about spreading the video online. Moreover, Hontiveros said that the video was filled with lies.
“Hindi lang po ito kaso ng fake news, ito ay sistematiko at sadyang pag-atake pati sa mga witnesses, mga taong naglakas loob sa kabila ng kanilang takot na sabihin ang kanilang katotohanan,” the Senator said.
In a separate post, Hontiveros said that the investigation into the said personalities would continue in parallel with the cyber libel complaint she filed before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) earlier in July.
Over a year after Maurillo testified before the Senate against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), he accused Hontiveros of paying him P1 million to implicate Former President Rodrigo Duterte, Vice President Sara Duterte, and the said pastor of committing crimes.
Before Hontiveros filed a complaint with the NBI and DOJ, she announced in a press conference that this was “a clear act of witness tampering,” adding that the video exposed the victims' and witnesses’ identities and personal information of her staff.
