Businessman Jayke Joson, a former aide of retired boxer Manny Pacquiao, has formally filed cyber libel and cyber-bullying cases against talent manager Annabelle Rama-Gutierrez.
Joson personally went to the cybercrime division of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Tuesday to file the cases for Rama’s false accusations of theft and other malicious contents posted on her personal social media accounts.
“Mrs. Annabelle Rama has maliciously accused Jayke Joson of theft on her social media accounts, Instagram and Twitter, which were taken by mainstream media. Her malicious claims for being a partisan were only meant to destroy the credibility of Joson,” said lawyer Lorenzo Gadon, who handle the case of Joson.
“We have strong evidences of cyber libel and cyber-bullying against Annabelle Rama. At the same time, she did not refute nor deny her posting and the reports published quoting her claims,” he added. “We want to teach Mrs Rama and other partisans some lessons for telling pure lies to discredit Mr. Joson. We want her to go to jail.”
Joson and Pacquiao’s business manager Arnold Vegafria were accused by Rama of stealing P140 million from the eight-division champion. Rama slammed Joson last week in her social media accounts after Joson’s previews interviews against Pacquiao.
“I am not going to take her accusations just sitting down. I am a Joson and I will fight for the pride of our name until justice is served,” Joson said. “I have no idea about her intention but she’s just out there to impress Senator Pacquiao.”
NBI regional director Emeterio Dongallo Jr. said they would review first the case filed by Joson against Rama before making the NBI’s final recommendation. But he warned the respondent that the penalty of cyber libel case if proven guilty is more harsh than the ordinary libel case because of the presence of social media.
“Mr. Joson came up here in our office as the complainant with no special treatment but just like anyone else who sought for help, so we gave him legal assistance,” Dongallo Jr. said. “All I can guarantee is that we will act on this case swiftly.”
A total of six to 10 years of imprisonment could be imposed on anyone guilty of the said crime depending on the count given by the court, according to Dongallo Jr.
