Tarriela files cyberlibel raps vs blogger

MANILA, Philippines — Saying he has had enough of her “baseless, malicious and deeply personal online attacks,” Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela declared that blogger and social media personality Sass Rogando Sasot must be held liable for cyberlibel.

Tarriela filed his complaint before Manila assistant city prosecutor Chris Jark Ace Maño last July 4. Movement Against Disinformation (MAD) convenor Antonio La Viña served as one of Tarriela’s two counsels.

Sasot, previously cited by the House of Representatives in its hearings against fake news online, accused Tarriela of collecting $4 million from the United States as “talent fee” for his involvement in the US-initiated “Project Atlantis” that supported the government’s efforts in the West Philippine Sea, according to a copy of his complaint affidavit obtained by The STAR.

Sasot also claimed Tarriela got “three black bags” from the residence of House Speaker Martin Romualdez, added the document.

Sasot published the posts on her Facebook page “For The Motherland – Sass Rogando Sasot” and her X account carrying the same name between July and October 2024, noted Tarriela.

He supplied screenshots of the said posts, all of which were seen by his staff at the PCG’s West Philippine Sea Transparency Office that he heads.

“By deliberately tarnishing my character with falsehoods, the Respondent has not only attacked my personal reputation but also undermined the institution I serve, thereby impeding our ability to effectively deliver public service,” said Tarriela.

He hoped his cyberlibel complaint against Sasot would send “a clear message: that truth matters, and that those who serve the public deserve both respect and protection from malicious attacks.”

In a separate statement, La Viña said MAD “stands with Commodore Tarriela and all public servants who have become targets of coordinated disinformation and online smear campaigns.”

Asked for a comment, Sasot said Tarriela “has all the right to file a case against anybody.”

“His legal complaint must be legally served in order for me to answer it legally. I will wait where I live, which is outside the Philippines, to receive it legally and thereby answer it legally,” she added, posting on her Facebook page – which carried a photo of ghost cartoon character Casper – a screenshot of her reply to an email by ABS-CBN News.

For her part, ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima expressed yesterday her strong support for Tarriela’s fight against disinformation.

“As someone who has endured years of coordinated smears, online attacks and relentless disinformation, I express my full support for Commodore Jay Tarriela’s decision to take legal action against the baseless and malicious accusations recently directed at him,” De Lima said in a statement.

“I commend Commodore Tarriela’s resolve. His decision speaks not only for himself but also for every public servant who has chosen to face difficult truths rather than bend to convenient falsehoods,” De Lima said.

China’s disinformation

Retired United States Air Force colonel and maritime expert Ray Powell slammed China yesterday on the latter’s continuing and allegedly coordinated campaign to hide the truth and discredit transparency in what has been happening in the West Philippine Sea.

“This goes beyond disinformation. It’s a deliberate campaign to twist facts, shift public focus and undermine those bringing truth to light. The goal appears clear: delegitimize transparency by portraying documentation as provocation and accountability as betrayal,” Powell said in a statement posted on the Facebook page of Sealight, a maritime transparency project that monitors China’s activities and behavior in the South China Sea.

“Let me be clear: what we’ve been witnessing is not a mere academic disagreement. It has been a coordinated, state-sponsored attempt to erase evidence, discredit transparency and undermine the resolve of all who believe in the rules and norms that have upheld generations of peace, security and sovereign rights between civilised nations,” Powell alleged.

“The accusations have been as coordinated as they are baseless. Chinese state media has claimed SeaLight directs an imaginary ‘$500-million US government information warfare campaign’ and that civilian advocacy groups like Atin Ito are ‘secretly funded by the Philippines and the US governments’ through our unfunded, volunteer-staffed organization. The Chinese embassy in Manila has directly amplified these false narratives,” Powell said.

“The campaign’s most strategic feature is its local presentation. Pro-Beijing commentators repeat Beijing’s narrative almost verbatim. Across radio, blogs, videos and op-eds, certain voices discredit efforts to document hostile maritime actions while remaining conspicuously silent about the actual intrusions themselves,” he said.

Powell said Stratbase ADR Institute has also faced relentless attacks for supporting the Philippines’ transparency campaigns, and such efforts “have been systematically reframed by Chinese propaganda as foreign plots.”– Michael Punongbayan, Jose Rodel Clapano