Roque, ‘Banat By’ cyber libel subpoena out

Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Sunday said that the subpoenas for former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and pro-Duterte vlogger Banat By for the libel and cyber libel charges he filed against them last month have been issued.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Trillanes disclosed copies of the subpoenas issued by the Office of the City Prosecutor in Quezon City, where he filed several libel and cyber libel cases against the two and other pro-Duterte personalities and social media account holders last month.

The documents he posted, however, only contained his name as the complainant and Herminio “Harry” Roque Jr. and Byron Cristobal, the names of the respondents.

Aside from Roque and Banat By, whose real name is listed as Byron Cristobal, Trillanes also filed libel and cyber libel charges against a certain Guillermina Barrido and some Sonshine Media Network International executives for publishing an interview in which Barrido repeatedly alleged that Trillanes tried to convince her and purportedly paid her to be a fake witness against then President Duterte.

Trillanes earlier said that his decision to pursue a legal recourse comes after persistent online attacks and the dissemination of false accusations of the said personalities and the media entity against him, particularly during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte.