WPS spox Tarriela files cyberlibel raps vs vlogger Sass Sasot

Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela holds a press briefing on May 6, 2025 in Manila. — Photo by Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela on Friday filed a cyberlibel complaint against vlogger Sass Rogando Sasot.

According to Tarriela, he filed the case before the Manila Prosecutor’s Office to hold Sasot accountable for the allegations she made against him as a spokesperson for West Philippine Sea matters, without even providing actual evidence.

READ: Former finance exec Magno sues vlogger for cyberlibel

“For me, spreading fake news, misinformation, and disinformation on social media platforms should really be addressed by filing cases to challenge these kinds of posts,” said Tarriela in a mix of Filipino and English.

“So this is a step that I am very confident we should take to set an example for people that we need to be responsible when posting on social media,” he added.

Setting the record straight

Tarriela’s complaint cited several accusations made by Sasot, including claims that he received bags of money from House Speaker Martin Romualdez and a “talent fee” from the United States.

Tarriela denied all these allegations, explaining that he has no financial motivation for defending the Philippines’ sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea dispute and that his actions are all in accordance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directives.

“I honestly don’t know where she’s getting this from or if it was dictated to her while she was in Beijing. I don’t know. But for me, these are pieces of information that were posted on social media and need to be refuted,” said Tarriela.

“Through challenging Ms. Sasot in court… [is to compel] her to produce evidence to say her posts are factual and true, I think this is the proper way,” he added. /das