Filipino actor Rob Sy responded to intensifying online bullying allegations involving his son by posting a statement on Facebook on 31 May, clarifying that the accusations had already been disproven and that his son was, in fact, the victim of bullying.

The online backlash against Sy's son began after actor-politician Alfred Vargas and his wife, Yasmine, filed a criminal complaint against the Sy parents on 13 April for alleged violation of Section 10(a) of Republic Act No. 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

According to the Vargas couple, they witnessed Sy's child repeatedly harassing their son during a swimming competition.

Vargas also claimed he confronted the parents of the alleged bully, but they were dismissive of the incident and allegedly attempted to gaslight them.

Sy, however, refuted the claims and posted evidence on Facebook on 27 May, stating that the Manila City Prosecutor's Office ruled in favor of his family, citing insufficient evidence.

“Sa sampung (10) pahinang resolusyon, nakita ng Manila City Prosecutor's Office na Walang Sapat na ebidensya o prima facie case para kami ay makasuhan ng criminal, lalo na para magpakita ng anumang reasonable certainty of conviction sa korte,” Sy wrote in his post, presenting what he said was proof that his son did not bully Vargas' son.

The actor also said their silence should not be interpreted as an admission of guilt, but rather an effort to avoid the online drama and cyberbullying surrounding the issue. He said his family chose instead to rely on the proper legal process.

“Sa kabila ng online hostility, cyberbullying, at maagang paghusga ng ilan na aming tiniis sa buong ordeal na ito, pinili naming huwag sumabay sa Pampublikong Drama,” Sy said.

“Sa halip, umasa kami sa tahimik ngunit matibay na bigat ng Objective Truth, Verified Clinical Psychological Evaluations, at Institutional Validation mula sa mga tamang awtoridad,” he added.

Despite the evidence Sy presented on 27 May, online criticism against his son has continued to circulate on social media.

This prompted the actor to issue another statement on 31 May in an effort to address what he described as persistent misinformation about his family.

“Hindi na po sana kami magsasalita pa tungkol sa mga lumabas na namang mga naratibo, dahil nga sa ito ay kaso na at kami ay napayuhan na antayin lamang umikot ang hustisya pero sobra sobra na po talaga ang mga maling paratang,” Sy said.

Sy also asserted that his son was the one who had been bullied, not by Vargas' child but by individuals much older than him.

“Sa katunayan, base sa ebidensya na makikita sa 10-page resolution, ang anak po namin ang mismong binully, hindi ng bata, kundi ng di hamak na nakatatanda sa kanya. Pero gayun pa man ay kapatawaran ang nangibabaw,” he said.

The actor added that he would not allow "trial by publicity" to continue damaging his family's reputation.

“Gayunman, hindi namin hahayaan na muling manaig ang Trial by Publicity o ang pagpapakalat ng mga maling naratibo sa social media laban sa aming pamilya,” Sy said.

He also said his family is prepared to answer questions and publicly discuss the issue if necessary.

“Kung kailangan na kami ay imbitahan ng sino man na nais hingan kami ng reaksyon para magsalita ng direkta sa mga nangyari, kami ay handang magsalita sa larangan ng katotohanan at bilang reaksyon sa mga paratang laban sa amin sa social media,” Sy said.