Former senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Monday, March 11, filed a cyber libel complaint before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against a YouTube channel for releasing "defamatory" videos against him and his family.
You Tube and Google have been included in the complaint filed by Pangilinan before the DOJ's Cybercrime Division.
“Sobra itong paninira na ginawa. Milyon ang nakakapanood ng kasinungalingan (The defamation has been too much. Millions of viewers have watched these lies),” Pangilinan told reporters after filing the complaint.
In his complaint, Pangilinan accused the YouTube channel Bungangera TV of having committed cyber libel under Section 4(c)(4) of Republic Act (RA) No. 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
“Pati ang YouTube and Google ay sinampahan din natin ng kaso (YouTube and Google have been included in to complaint) for aiding and abetting criminal libel),” he said. Google owns YouTube.
Pangilinan said that the YouTube channel wanted to earn money through views at his expense and that of his family.
“Siguro gusto nila kumita kahit wala ako sa pulitika (Maybe they want to earn money even I am no longer in politics),” lamented the Pangilinan who observed that the videos has advertisements.
The videos cited in the complaint came out on YouTube in December last year and are titled “KC Concepcion inamin na ang ginawa sa kanya ni Kiko Pangilinan!” which came out on Dec. 27, 2023; “Gabby Concepcion sinugod si Kiko Pangilinan dahil sa ginawa nito kay KC Concepcion” which came out on Dec. 28, 2023; and “Bistado! Frankie Pangilinan sinugod si KC Concepcion matapos makipagrelasyon kay Kiko Pangilinan!” which was released on Dec. 29, 2023.
“The videos authored and posted by Bungangera TV created in the minds of the viewers that I am a husband who physically abuses his wife and children,” Pangilinan said in his complaint.
“The titles, thumbnails, and all other contents of the videos pertaining to me and my family are all false, have no factual basis and are intended to destroy or damage my reputation as a public servant, and a husband to one of the most believed celebrities in the Philippines, Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan. More importantly, the libelous videos are not only intended to damage my relationship with my wife but are also meant to destroy my relationship with our children,” he added.
Pangilinan also pointed out in his complaint that “as further evidence of malice, the owner/s, author/s, or person/s responsible in the creation and management of Bungangera TV and the libelous videos never contacted me or my wife or children to inquire or confirm the truth or falsity of the titles, thumbnails, and contents of the subject videos.”
Thus, he asked the DOJ to order the National Bureau of Investigation-Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD) to investigate Bangangera TV and collect information about the YouTube channel including the identification of people behind it.
Once these persons have been identified, “I will pursue legal action against him/her/them, and I intend to use the data collected and preserved as evidence,” he said.
He told journalists that he already wrote to YouTube last December and this Monday, March 11, to take down the videos for violating “community standards.”
“Ayoko magsampa ng kaso laban sa digital media giants. Wala naman ako balak ipakulong sila pero sana naman ayusin nila sistema nila (I don’t want to file a case against these digital media giants. I don’t plan to have them jailed but they must fix the system),” he said.
He noted that his wife, Sharon, gave him the go signal to file the case before the DOJ.
“I explained this to Sharon and she’s all out support for this 'dahil salbahe talaga itong ginagawa at talagang wala hiyaan na masyado ng pambabastos (because what they did is savage and too shameless),” he said.
He then appealed to the DOJ to finish its investigation on the other cyberlibel case he filed in 2021 against YouTube channels Starlet and Latest Chika.
“Hanggang ngayon ay under investigation pa rin. Sana mapabilis rin ito (Up to now it is still under investigation. I hope this will be expedited),” he said.