Pro-administration blogger indicted for cyber libel vs. Trillanes

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 30) —  The Pasay City Prosecutor's Office has recommended the filing of a cyber-libel case by Senator Antonio Trillanes against blogger RJ Nieto.

Trillanes filed a cyber-libel complaint against Nieto, who runs the pro-administration Thinking Pinoy blog, for a 2017 post alleging that U.S. President Donald Trump called the senator a drug lord.

The Facebook post was shared 15,759 times and generated 62,000 reactions.

The Pasay City Prosecutor's Office conducted a verification which revealed that Trump had never made such statements about Trillanes.

"The post is malicious as no good intention or justifiable motive for making it is shown," the resolution of the Pasay City Prosecutor's Office read.

The office added that while public officials like Trillanes should not be "onion skinned", that should not be an excuse for anyone to make up baseless lies and stories against them.

Trillanes welcomed this development to his case.

"This should serve as a warning for Mr. Nieto and other Duterte bloggers to stop peddling lies, as part of their propaganda. Their activities reflect the kind of administration that they support. Sooner or later, they will all be accountable for their actions," Trillanes said in a statement.

Nieto, on the other hand, said that he plans to file a motion for reconsideration as he has yet to receive the complaint.

"Most likely, a motion for reconsideration based on the lack of notice shall be filed, though I leave it to my lawyers to decide the best course of action," Nieto said.