Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. (File photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said in jest on Monday that he would rather punch the man allegedly behind the “Silent No More” blog for calling him names rather than wait for an apology.
Sotto made this remark as he announced his plan to file a libel case this Monday at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against Edward Angelo Dayao, also known as Cocoy Dayao.
“Public apology nya? Walang mangyayari dun sa public apology nya. Pasuntok na lang sya sa akin kung gusto nya. I’ll plead guilty to serious physical injuries,” he said in jest, responding to a reporter’s question at the Senate.
Before this, Sotto said he would file a libel case against Dayao for calling him names.
“The case will prosper, I’m very sure,” he said, “And his passport will be cancelled. We will request that his passport be cancelled. Baka NBI na ang mag-request nun.”
Sotto was among the seven senators called as “Malacañang dogs” by the blog for not signing a resolution, condemning so-called extrajudicial killings, especially of children, in the country.
Asked if the libel case he would file against Dayao had something to do with the remark against the seven senators’ resolution, the Majority Leader said: “Hindi. Yung mga name calling nya sa akin. That’s libelous.”
“His name calling, that’s my basis. Balewala yung sinabi nya, hindi raw kami pumirma nag imbento sya ng storyang ganun na mali na hindi naman kami pinapirma talaga. Balewala yun. Yung name calling nya ang libelous,” he added.
Sotto was almost sure though that Dayao was indeed the man behind the blog.
“Na traced na ng NBI. Pati yung mga registration nya (Dayao), lahat,” the senator added. /kga
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