Senator Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday, September 14, filed a cyber libel complaint against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy over the latter’s claims of misused funds against the senator.

In his 13-page complaint, Pacquiao is asking the court to order Quiboloy to pay P100 million in damages, in addition to attorney’s fees, for “using his power and influence to spread fake news and false information.”

“He used this deliberate falsehood to brainwash the minds of the Filipino public, recklessly propagating to blacken the image and reputation of an honest public servant,” said Pacquiao in the complaint.

“He even had the audacity to quote the Holy Scripture in furtherance of his lies, misleading his flock and confusing the public, with the end view of blackening [my] reputation,” he added.

As to why Pacquiao is demanding P100 million in damages, he said: “Before the fight, marami siyang pinalabas. Ang daming nagtatanong sakin kung totoo ‘yan. Nahihirapan ako. Eh hindi naman totoo. Grabe ‘yung perwisyo na ginawa ‘nya sa pangalan ko.”

(Before the fight, he released the video. A lot of people were asking me if that was true. It was difficult. But it’s not true. I experienced a lot of trouble just because of what he did to me.)

The complaint stemmed from a Youtube video of Quiboloy posted by SMNI News, Quiboloy’s broadcasting arm. In that video, Quiboloy claimed that Pacquiao “misused the funds” for the Sarangani Sports Training Center (SSTC) and that the project had cost the government P3.5 billion.

“Sinadya talaga habang nagte-training si Senatory Manny. Ito ay nag-iinvolve ng magkakaibang tatlong proyekto. Inikot-ikot.… Nagtagpi-tagpi ng kuwento habang nagte-training si Senator Manny para palabasin kunwari may korapsyon,” Pacquiao’s camp said Tuesday.

(It was intentionally released while Senator Manny was training [in the US]. This video involved three different projects. It was spin. It was a patchwork of stories while Senator Manny was training to make it out like there was corruption.)

Pacquiao had earlier asked the Philippine National Police to investigate the matter, along with the Facebook post shared by pro-Duterte blogger Sass Sasot. Both are closely associated with President Rodrigo Duterte, with Quiboloy being the President’s long-time friend and spiritual adviser.

The senator’s legal team already denied the allegations, saying that Pacquiao had only sponsored the law which appropriated the said P3.5 billion for the Philippine Sports Training Center.

A former staunch administration ally, Pacquiao has now caught the ire of Duterte after the senator’s claims of corruption under this administration. Duterte had even used Quiboloy’s platform to rant about Pacquiao, although the President did not initially name the senator.

The President later lambasted Pacquiao when the senator said fighting corruption “is bigger” than the drug problem. – Rappler.com