Department of Justice Reviews 18 Cyberlibel Cases Filed Against Rotary Club President

A lawmaker at the House of Representatives has elevated his battle against a notorious fake news maker in the province of Bohol by asking the justice department to take a look at the multiple cybercrime cases filed against the Facebook propagandist.

Makati-based and Rotary Club of Downtown San Juan President Emmanuel “Willy” Ramasola, a shameless social media attack dog of ex-Cabinet Secretary Leoncio “Toloy” Evasco and Bohol Governor Aris Aumentado targetting Bohol Congressman Edgar M. Chatto, is facing 18 counts of cyber libel that the latter wants the Department of Justice (DOJ) to review.

Chatto filed a petition with the DOJ, asking for the reversal of the previous ruling that dismissed the cases for lack of probable cause.

The petition argued that Chatto was clearly the target of Ramasola’s derogatory and defamatory Facebook posts, even if his name was not explicitly mentioned.

The petition cited several posts that used terms such as “EC”, “Edgar”, “Congressman Penguin”, “Governador”, “Cong. Edith Sato”, and “kimpang” to refer to Chatto, claiming that these terms were unmistakably identifiable to Chatto, especially by Boholano readers.

It noted that Chatto was the only congressman in Bohol with the initials EC, and that the terms “Congressman Penguin” and “kimpang” mocked his physical disability and difficulty in walking.

The petition also alleged that Ramasola dragged Chatto’s family into his malicious posts, implying that they were part of a corrupt dynasty.

Chatto’s wife Pureza and daughter Trisha are the mayor and vice mayor of Balilihan, respectively.

According to the petitioner, Ramasola’s posts were not fair commentaries, but direct attacks on Chatto’s reputation and character.

It said that Ramasola’s posts were intended to discredit, insinuate, and stir public animosity towards Chatto.

“Freedom of expression is not an absolute, nor is it an unbridled license that gives immunity for every possible use of language and prevents the punishment of those who abuse this freedom,” the petition read.

Asserting that Ramasola did not have the right to malign Chatto’s honor and dignity by posting fabricated and malicious comments, even if Chatto was a public figure, the petition also insisted that there should be findings of probable cause, as all the elements of libel were present in Ramasola’s Facebook posts.

Ramasola’s posts were defamatory, as they suggested that Chatto was a corrupt public official, despite his years of dedicated public service in Bohol, the petition said.