Tarriela sues blogger Sass Sasot for cyberlibel

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela filed a cyberlibel complaint against blogger Sass Sasot on Friday.

According to Tarriela, the spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Sasot allegedly used deceptive methods in her posts to imply that he was involved in criminal acts, accusing him of bribery, corruption, and cheating.

"This calculated strategy enables her to cast doubt on my integrity and character without making direct accusations,” he said.

He asserted that Sasot’s actions were intended to damage his reputation and discredit him. Tarriela is seeking more than P1 million in damages.

Among Sasot’s alleged claims, according to Tarriela, were accusations that he cheated at the Philippine Military Academy, received a $4 million talent fee from the United States, and was handed bags of cash by House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

The PCG strongly denied all accusations, calling them entirely false and baseless.