Trillanes files libel raps vs Roque

MANILA, Philippines — Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV filed complaints for libel and cyberlibel yesterday against former presidential spokesman Harry Roque and vlogger Byron Cristobal for allegedly spreading false accusations against him.

Trillanes lodged the complaints before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office.

He said Roque, Cristobal who is also known as Banat By, several hosts of Sonshine Media Network Inc. and other social media accounts supportive of former president Rodrigo Duterte have targeted him with false accusations.

Trillanes said the attacks against him on social media platforms were related to allegations that he sold Scarborough Shoal to China.

The Office of the Ombudsman in 2017 cleared former president Benigno Aquino III and Trillanes of treason and espionage for engaging in backchannel negotiations with China to resolve the Panatag Shoal standoff in 2012.

Trillanes also lodged complaints before the National Bureau of Investigation against what he said were pro-Duterte troll accounts on TikTok and X, formerly known as Twitter.

The accounts are Mr. Realtalker or Lods Chinto, Melagin Nastor Evangelista or Catastrophe, JoeLas, Michael Gorre, Hampaslupang Mandaragat and @SaraAll2028.