He just about had it with social media bashers.
On Thursday, actor Robin Padilla filed online libel charges at the National Bureau of Investigation against a Twitter user identified only as “Krizzy,” who goes by the username @krizzy_kalerqui.
Padilla, accompanied by lawyer Philip Jurado, filed the case at the NBI-Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD).
Krizzy, who accused Padilla of election violation for posting a shaded ballot on his Instagram account, pushed the actor to tell his daughter Kylie that he is an ex-convict.
“That’s very painful to me. You see, I even sent my kids to Australia just to erase that ex-convict tag but now it’s coming out again,” Padilla said.
Padilla, a staunch supporter of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, said he posted a picture of his “ballot” on Instagram only to express his desire to vote.
He said the government removed his voting rights for life after he was convicted for illegal possession of firearms in 1995.
Padilla said he initially ignored online bashers until the spread of misinformation was already beyond control.
He said Kylie even called him to ask, “Are you going to jail for this?” He was referring to the picture of what appeared to be his shaded ballot.
Padilla said he was forced to explain to Kylie that he did not commit any violation because he could not vote.
No right to vote
“She asked me, ‘Why can’t you vote?’ I told her, ‘Because I’m an ex-convict. I was granted pardon but that did not reinstate my right to vote,’” he said.
Padilla was meted out a 21-year jail term by the Angeles City Regional Trial Court for illegal possession of firearms in April 1994. His conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeals in July 1995. He started serving his sentence two months later.
In 1997, the Supreme Court affirmed his conviction but cut his jail term to 10-18 years.
Padilla’s conviction stemmed from a hit-and-run accident in Barangay Sta. Teresita, Angeles City, on Oct. 26, 1992. The actor, who was driving a Pajero van, sideswiped a balut vendor.
He fled the scene but was intercepted by policemen along Abacan River. A .357-cal. revolver, an M-16 assault rifle and a .380-cal. Beretta pistol as well as ammunition—all unlicensed—were later found in his vehicle.
Padilla benefited from the retroactive provision of Republic Act. No. 8294, a law which reduced the jail term for illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives from six to 12 years.
Conditional pardon
In April 1998, he was granted conditional pardon by then President Fidel V. Ramos, for whom he campaigned in 1992.
Jurado said Padilla wanted to clear his name because it affected his product endorsements.
In a three-page complaint, Padilla cried foul over the user’s post that read: “This is a clear violation of election law. Throw him in jail!”
“Post/tweet was clearly made without proper research and for the sole purpose of defaming our client supposedly because he supported a candidate which Miss Krizzy (@krizzy_kalerqui) does not support,” Jurado said in the complaint.
NBI-CCD chief Roland Aguto said the agency accepted the case and would wait for Padilla’s sworn statement. He said the first step of their investigation would be to establish the user’s real identity. With a report from Inquirer Archives