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MANILA, Philippines — House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe filed on Monday, April 28, a cyberlibel complaint against The Manila Times over a report linking him to a document allegedly endorsing tactics to undercut the Duterte-aligned senatorial slate.
Dalipe, who also serves as Lakas-CMD’s executive vice president and is running for Zamboanga City mayor, was accused of signing a document titled “Mid-Election Final Campaign Sprint Action Plan,” also referred to as “Oplan Horus.”
The “leaked” document, reported exclusively by The Manila Times, bore the logo of Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas on its header and alleged that the action plan was discussed during Lakas-CMD’s meeting on April 22.
Dalipe denied the allegations in a statement on Tuesday, April 29, dismissing the report as “malicious and false” and accusing the publication of failing to verify the “fabricated” document with him.
“These accusations are without merit, and I categorically deny the authenticity of this document,” he said. “The respondent authors never made any attempt to confirm the truthfulness of the falsified document with me.”
How the document was reported
In the April 23 report, “Leaked paper lays out poll attack plan,” The Manila Times sought comment from Alyansa campaign manager Toby Tiangco.
It cited the anonymous source who stood by the document’s authenticity, and Tiangco who dismissed it as fabricated, mentioning what Dalipe told him over a phone call.
However, Dalipe argued that the story should have been withheld from publication following Tiangco’s clarification. This prompted the House leader to lodge a cyberlibel case against the report’s writers and editors.
It is also worth noting that the document was quite informally written, alternating between “Duts” and “Duterte” when referring to the Dutertes and using shortened names for some lawmakers and Alyansa candidates.
The report also touched on Vice President Sara Duterte’s confidence in beating the impeachment case, her campaign for the PDP-Laban slate following her father’s arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Alyansa campaign in Pampanga, with Tiangco quoted.
“I cannot allow myself to be the subject of another’s desperate attempt to make a baseless claim that seeks not only to tarnish my reputation but to destabilize the political landscape by attributing to me actions that are both uncharacteristic and contrary to the principles of fair play and democracy that I have always upheld,” he added.
Dalipe also called the report “defamatory” and claimed it aimed to “expose him to public ridicule and contempt,” constituting cyberlibel under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and the Revised Penal Code.
These laws have been wielded by public figures in the Philippines to intimidate the media, create a “chilling effect” on press freedom and suppress even truthful reports, fostering a climate of self-censorship and restricted public access to information.
Philstar.com sought clarification from Dalipe’s office on whether any efforts were made to contact The Manila Times' writers or editors before filing the complaint, but as of this writing, it has yet to receive a response.
Inside the ‘leaked’ document
The document particularly claimed that the Marcos camp and its allies were leveraging House inquiries and legal cases, from former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war to the confidential funds of Sara’s offices, to weaken their alliance and boost the admin-backed Alyansa slate.
It also proposed speeding up Sara’s impeachment trial, freezing assets and aiding the ICC’s investigation and possible arrest of Senators Bong Go (“BG”) and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
The House leader said the allegations made it appear as if he was behind this “massive scheme” involving crimes like bribery and propaganda financing.
“The timing and tenor of the publication reveal a calculated effort not merely to supposedly expose me to public ridicule, but to influence public opinion and undermine my candidacy,” Dalipe said.
He argued that the report warranted a cyberlibel complaint, which could result in jail time for the respondents if found guilty.
Dalipe, who represents the 2nd District of Zamboanga City, is running against Rep. Khmer Adan Olaso, who presently represents the city’s 1st District. Olaso is also an ally of the Dutertes, who once claimed the administration weaponized the national budget against opponents.
