Blogger sued for libel seeks chance to explain to Sotto

This photo taken in November 2017, shows Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III at the Pasay Prosecutor’s Office where he filed cyber libel charge vs Silent No More blog administrato, Cocoy Dayao. (File photo by DEXTER CABALZA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Blogger Edward Angelo “Cocoy” Dayao, who was indicted for libel in 2018 in the case earlier filed by Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, has sent “feelers” to the senator to explain.

Sotto said this during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay at the Senate on Wednesday, when asked for an update on the case against the blogger.

“He [Dayao] has a pending case in court. He is already in court. He has been indicted. He has sent feelers to me to explain. As a matter of fact, I think he posted bail,” the senator said.

“I will probably listen to what he has to say, but all he has to do easily is to tell me who is behind him. Who made him do it. That’s what he has been saying: It appears that he was used,” he added, speaking partly in Filipino.

In 2017, Sotto filed a cyberlibel complaint against Dayao before the Pasay City Prosecutors Office.

The blogger was behind the anti-Duterte blog “Silent No More PH.”

READ: Sotto sues blogger for cyber-libel over ‘Malacañang lapdogs’ tag vs senators

The senator filed the complaint following a “Silent No More PH” blog post that called him and six other senators as “Malacañang lapdogs” for not signing a resolution condemning the killing of minors in the Duterte administration’s brutal crackdown against illegal drugs.

Dayao was indicted for libel in July 2018.

READ: Blogger Cocoy Dayao indicted for libel

Sotto’s update on Dayao’s case comes amid issues surrounding a series of videos linking President Rodrigo Duterte’s relatives and allies to the illegal drug trade.

READ: Man claiming to be ‘Bikoy’ linked Aquino to drugs – Sotto

Last week, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested Rodel Jayme, creator of the website which “consistently” shared the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos.

Jayme and Dayao, meanwhile, are reportedly members of the same social media group that managed the same blog sites — “Silent No More PH” and “Change Scamming,” among others.

Malacañang also earlier released another matrix of individuals and organizations allegedly conniving to topple the Duterte administration.

Malacañang tagged both Jayme and Dayao in the alleged ouster plot along with groups like the Liberal Party, Magdalo, and certain media outfits.

READ: LP, Magdalo, media outfits tagged in Duterte ouster plot

However, those linked in the supposed connivance to oust the President denied their involvement in the said plot.

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