Hontiveros claps back with cyberlibel suit

National

SENATOR Risa Hontiveros is striking back.

The lawmaker has filed a cyberlibel complaint with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against former Senate witness Michael Maurillo and several social media figures over a video accusing her of bribery.

The 19-page complaint stems from a video posted on Facebook, where Maurillo claimed Hontiveros offered him ₱1 million to implicate detained preacher Apollo Quiboloy. The video was later circulated across various social media platforms and picked up by public personalities.

Included in the complaint are individuals associated with the YouTube channel “Pagtanggol Valiente,” which Hontiveros noted was created on June 24, just one day after Maurillo allegedly made his final contact with her office. At the time, he claimed he was being held by members of Quiboloy’s Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) at their Glory Mountain compound.

“As a public servant, I am open to criticisms, but I will not allow dangerous lies like this to be propagated,” Hontiveros said in a Philstar report, adding that the accusations also target Senate witnesses, her staff, and the institution itself.

She also asked the NBI to investigate social media personalities who shared the video or contributed to its spread. These include former Palace press secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, former broadcaster Jay Sonza, Krizette Chu, Sass Sasot, Banat By (Byron Cristobal), Tio Moreno, and lawyer Ranny Libayan.

In a separate video uploaded to the same Facebook account, Maurillo denied Hontiveros’ account of events. He refuted claims that he had been kidnapped or coerced by KOJC, and said he was not paid to speak on Quiboloy’s behalf. Maurillo also said he was prepared to present evidence to support his accusations and asserted that he never contacted Hontiveros’ office.

Maurillo previously testified before the Senate in 2023, claiming he saw Quiboloy, former president Rodrigo Duterte, and then-Davao City mayor Sara Duterte with bags of firearms. The bribery accusation surfaced in a recent video that gained traction after being shared by Senator Ronald dela Rosa.

Hontiveros responded by presenting email exchanges allegedly from Maurillo, sent to her office starting December 14, 2023. In them, he reportedly sought help, claiming he was being detained by KOJC members. Her office took over a month to vet his statements and ultimately denied his request for financial assistance, including a laptop purchase.

According to Hontiveros, Maurillo’s final messages arrived on June 22 and 23, when he again sought help, saying he had been abducted. She clarified that since law enforcement falls outside her legislative function, the messages were referred to local authorities in Davao.

The cyberlibel case is now under NBI investigation.