MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Tuesday slapped a P1-million libel complaint on blogger and staunch Duterte supporter Rey Joseph “RJ” Nieto after the Thinking Pinoy publisher allegedly spread via social media the fake news that U.S. President Donald Trump had called the lawmaker “little narco” or drug lord.
In his complaint filed before the Department of Justice’s National Prosecution Service, Trillanes claimed that Nieto had posted in his Thinking Pinoy Facebook account that, “TRUMP CALLS TRILLANES A DRUG LORD.”
“US President Donald J. Trump reportedly called Senator Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes IV a “Narco,” a colloquial word for a drug lord or drug lord,” the post further said.
The allegedly “malicious” FB post, which as of Nov. 21 received 62,000 reactions and was shared 15,759 times, was allegedly done by Nieto, “a self-confessed diehard supporter and defender” of President Rodrigo Duterte to “besmirch” and “malign” Trillanes’ name.
The senator said that upon verification by the Philippine Star with the U.S. Embassy regarding Trump’s alleged mention of Trillanes, it was found out that based on the official website where transcripts of the U.S. leader’s press engagements are made available, “there was never a mention of my name in the transcripts thereon.”
“As a result of the of the baseless and malicious imputations of Respondent Nieto, Complainant suffered extreme anxiety, wounded feelings, sleepless nights, and a slur in his reputation…” the lawmaker said in his complaint.
“In order to serve as an example for the public good, and to deter persons similarly inclined like the respondent from committing the same or similar offense, Complainant most respectfully prays that Respondent be made to pay exemplary damages in the amount of ONE MILLION PESOS,” the senator added.
