Former Senator Leila de Lima, a vocal critic of former president Rodrigo Duterte, is considering taking legal action against bloggers who engaged in defamatory attacks, including spreading fake news and malicious information about her.
The former senator, recently released on bail after nearly seven years in detention on drug-related charges, revealed that charges under consideration include libel, cyberlibel, defamation, slander, and assault to honor.
In an interview with the Inquirer, De Lima emphasized her commitment to freedom of speech but condemned what she sees as an abuse of this right by certain bloggers.
She lamented the transformation of social media, originally envisioned for positive purposes, into a platform for fake news, propaganda, and misinformation.
“People were telling me, if you don’t respond, there may be more people who would believe these lies,” she said.
Initially, De Lima attempted to ignore derogatory comments and offensive slurs but decided to address the misinformation circulating about her.
She acknowledged the challenge of facing crude messages and misinformation but highlighted the need to correct false narratives.
Lawyers are now exploring the possibility of filing charges against individuals responsible for spreading defamatory content.
Reflecting on the situation in 2016, De Lima recalled receiving over 2,008 offensive messages during a House hearing on the Philippine drug trade.
These messages, she stated, degraded her as a woman.
Despite facing challenges in identifying and verifying the bloggers responsible, De Lima expressed awareness of their activities.
Most of the defamatory posts came from personalities known to be Duterte supporters who later secured government positions.
Example: Rey Joseph Nieto’s many scandalous posts against De Lima like this one.
De Lima suggested that many of those insulting her were paid by the previous administration, making the act of demeaning her commonplace.
Notable personalities such as Mocha Uson, Rey Joseph Nieto, and Mike Acebedo Lopez were identified for their involvement in spreading defamatory content.
- Example: This article posted by Mocha Uson in 2016.
Despite the difficulty of pursuing legal action, De Lima emphasized the importance of accountability.
While prioritizing an acquittal in her pending case, she expressed a desire to focus on holding accountable those behind what she considers trumped-up charges.
De Lima acknowledged the difficulty of filing charges against these bloggers but affirmed that her legal team is studying the feasibility of such actions.
She reiterated awareness of the individuals involved, including Uson, Nieto, and Lopez.
Here are posts from other Dutertard fanatics:
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