Philippine Senator Antonio Trillanes IV filed charges of libel, graft, and ethics violations against Communications Assistant Secretary Margaux “Mocha” Uson today at the Office of the Ombudsman for accusing him of hiding ill-gotten wealth in several bank accounts.
Among the administration’s most vocal critics, Trillanes filed 3 libel cases against Uson for alleged violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
“The era of fake news is over. Anyone who spreads fake news will be answerable to the law,” Trillanes said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Uson, an entertainer appointed to a Palace post in May, had uploaded a video on her widely followed Facebook page enumerating supposed multimillion bank accounts owned by Trillanes.
Earlier this week, Trillanes flew to Singapore to prove that the bank account he allegedly maintained in the city-state does not exist.
Hours later, President Rodrigo Duterte, who also accused Trillanes of owning offshore bank accounts, said he just “invented” the account number to catch the lawmaker.
Trillanes said he is also planning to file cases against broadcaster Erwin Tulfo and a certain Ben Tersiorna of the website Davao Breaking News for also posting the fake bank accounts.
The lawmaker also filed graft charges against Uson for allegedly using her position to propagate false information.
She had earlier drawn flak for incorrect posts on her popular blog, including using a photo of the Honduran police in calling for prayers for troops fighting in Marawi City. She then explained that she used the photo as “symbolism.”
“As a responsible senior government official, the standards are higher for us, the truthfulness of the information should be verified before sharing,” Trillanes said.
The senator also charged Uson for allegedly violating the code of ethics for continuing to perform in shows despite her public position.
Malacañang earlier ordered an investigation after social media posts surfaced showing Uson performing at a casino in violation of a government ban.
“Get a good lawyer because these are serious charges,” Trillanes said in Filipino, addressing Uson.
Asked for comment, Uson, who is currently in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, said Trillanes only proved that he has guts.
“Congratulations sir you proved you have balls. I’ll wait for your case. Make it quick, Senator Trillanes, don’t just be holding press cons. Thanks,” she wrote on her Facebook.
