Veteran singer and actor Janno Gibbs has strongly called out ‘shameless’ vloggers who profited from spreading fake news, falsely implicating him in the demise of his father during a press conference on January 15.

“Kung iisipin mo, malagim na nga nangyari sa amin. Yong actual na pangyayari, malagim na… eh domoble pa. Dinoble pa siłą” (It’s already tragic, and they even made it worse. They doubled the sorrow), Gibbs asserted during the press conference.

He also demanded the Quezon City police to apologize for the mishandling of his father’s case.

Gibbs directed his ire towards those spreading defamatory content, labeling him as responsible for his father’s death.

In a bold call-out, he said, “I’d like to call out some of the bloggers that… naintindihan ko naman. Yun ang trabaho mo. Yun ang pinagkakakitaan” (I’d like to call out some of the bloggers that… I understand, it’s your job. That’s how you earn your living).

Among the vloggers Gibbs singled out were Filipino Reaction, Mr. Balita TV, and a troll named Melissa.

He specifically criticized the defamatory thumbnails used on social media, especially YouTube, where these vloggers profit from views.

“Those are just some. Gusto ko lang sabihin sa Inyo, dun sa mga binanggit ko. Ganito na ba kababa, kadesperado ang mga bloggers for likes and views, you know, at the expense of our lives, my father’s reputation, my family… Ganun na ba talaga kadesperado?” (Those are just some. I just want to say to all of you mentioned, is this how low, how desperate bloggers have become for likes and views? At the expense of our lives, my father’s reputation, my family… Is it really that desperate?), Gibbs asked.

Expressing frustration, Gibbs had strong words for all the named bloggers and those who shared their content.

“Sa kanilang lahat sa mga binanggit ko. Pati sa lahat ng netizens na nag-share, nagpasa ng video, I want to say shame on you. Or better yet f**k you. I think that’s the better statement” (To all those I mentioned and all the netizens who shared and passed on the video, I want to say shame on you. Or better yet, f**k you. I think that’s the better statement).

Emotions escalated as Gibbs concluded his statement, tears streaming down his face. “I do not wish this on anybody else. That’s why I’m doing this. I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”

The issue gained attention when The Daily Netizen reported on Mr. Balita TV, a fake news channel spreading lies about Gibbs on YouTube, earning thousands of pesos through monetized views.

Unlike the faceless Mr. Balita TV, Gibbs highlighted Filipino Reaction, a vlogger showing his face, with over 75,000 subscribers, as particularly defamatory and malicious.

“Si Filipino Reaction, ang thumbnail niya— ‘Janno Gibbs umamin na. Umanin na sa kasalanan sa amang si Ronaldo,” Gibbs revealed. In one video, titled ‘Janno Gibbs sumuka na. Dinampot ng mga pulis matapos umamin nito sa kasalanan sa amang si Ronaldo Valdez,’ Filipino Reaction spread false news without fact-checking.

Many videos by Filipino Reaction seem to be entirely fabricated for clicks and views.

As for Mr. Balita, a verified fake news channel with over 100,000 followers, Gibbs remarked, “Lake ng kinita mo ah… Pahingi,” referring to the number of likes the post gained.

The unsubstantiated claims from Mr. Balita TV have garnered significant attention, with one post amassing over 400,000 views.

A particularly libelous content titled ‘Sumuko Na! Janno Gibbs Dinampot ng NBI matapos umami sa kasalanan nito sa aman si Ronaldo Valdez’ falsely presented Janno as a suspect in his father’s death.

Despite the fact that the actual circumstances surrounding Valdez’s death were initially declared as suicide, subsequent defamatory posts continued to emerge, with titles such as ‘Lagot na! Melissa Gibbs nagsumbong sa NBI dahil sa ginawang pagpatay ni Janno Gibbs sa ama’ and ‘Shocking! Janno Gibbs pinaghahanap ng NBI matapos tumakas sa kulungan.’