Senator Francis "Kiko" Panglinan on Monday filed a cyber libel complaint against the creators behind the YouTube channel Maharlika for the "libelous videos" it published against him and his family.
Pangilinan referred to a series of videos posted by the YouTube account on May 2021, which he said violated the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
According to the Pangilinan, the owners of Maharlika "acted in reckless disregard as to the truth or falsity of the statements in the video."
"The contents of the videos are all false, have no factual basis and are intended to destroy or damage my reputation as a senator, public servant, and a husband to one of the most beloved celebrities in the Philippines, Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan," said the senator in a statement.
"More importantly, the libelous videos are meant to destroy the family. The libelous videos are not only intended to damage my relationship with my wife but also meant to destroy my relationship with our children," he added.
Pangilinan, who is also running for vice president, said that his wife Sharon and their daughter Frankie also plan to sue the YouTube account.
In his filing to the Department of Justice, Pangilinan also called on Google, which owns YouTube, to explain how Maharlika's videos do not violate community standards.
"We also urge corporations placing ads on these and similar YouTube channels to stop enabling these sites that peddle lies and disinformation," he said.
The senator's cyber libel complaint follows previous two separate cases that he filed against YouTube channels "Latest Chika" and "Starlet" for also publishing similar false videos.
The video-sharing platform has since taken the said videos from the other accounts.
