In 2022, Senator Risa Hontiveros stood before the media and declared that criminal libel had become “a blunt weapon against journalists.” Three years later, she is herself wielding the Cybercrime Prevention Act to sue vloggers and a whistle‑blower who spread the now‑infamous Alyas Rene video. The apparent pivot has reignited the Philippine debate on press freedom vs. defamation.
2022: “Defend Press Freedom” and Senate Bill 1593
On , Hontiveros filed Senate Bill No. 1593, which sought to erase prison terms for libel and cyber‑libel. She warned that Our libel laws have been weaponized to stifle very basic fundamental rights … particularly the freedom of the press.
Read the full press release here: “Defend Press Freedom”: Hontiveros files bill to decriminalize libel
The senator underscored how cyber‑libel charges had drained the time and resources of journalists such as Maria Ressa, Reynaldo Santos Jr., and Frank Cimatu. She argued, in Filipino, that unless Congress intervened, Gamit na gamit na ang cyber‑libel para patahimikin ang ating mga mamamahayag… If we allow our laws to punish rather than protect the press, we chip away at our Constitutional rights. This will cost us our democracy.
Read the full article here: Hontiveros to file complaint over ‘fake news’ video, witness tampering – PNA, June 30, 2025
The Quiboloy Hearings and the Rise of “Alyas Rene”
Fast‑forward to early 2024, when Hontiveros’ Committee on Women investigated alleged abuses inside Apollo Quiboloy’s Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC). One witness, Michael Maurilio—later dubbed Alyas Rene—testified that he was physically and sexually abused by church members and that Quiboloy’s powerful allies had covered it up.
At the time, the testimony attracted limited national attention. That changed in June 2025, when a 12‑minute video surfaced on Facebook showing Maurilio accusing Hontiveros of coaching
and paying
him to smear Quiboloy and the Dutertes. Within 48 hours the clip had migrated to YouTube Shorts and TikTok, racking up more than 2 million combined views.
June 30 2025: “You Have Crossed a Line”
Hontiveros called the video fake news
and witness tampering
. She announced: Sa mga nasa likod ng video na ito, you have crossed a line. Sobra na kayo.
Adding that her legal team would complain to the NBI, she promised, This is only step one and we will take further decisive action, including the filing of criminal complaints.
Read the full PNA report here: Hontiveros files cyber libel complaint over ‘fake’ Maurilio videos – PNA, July 2, 2025
July 2025: Cyber‑Libel Complaint Filed
True to her word, the senator lodged a cyber‑libel complaint on . The filing named a dozen social‑media personalities for allegedly deliberately contribut[ing] to the spread of false and malicious claims
—among them ex‑Press Secretary Trixie Cruz‑Angeles, blogger Banat By, and lawyer Ranny Libayan.
Hontiveros also asked the NBI’s Cybercrime Division to preserve all uploads of the video and warned of additional charges if evidence of a coordinated disinformation network emerged.
Public Reaction: Principle vs. Self‑Defense
The internet backlash was swift. Critics posted side‑by‑side screenshots of the 2022 press release and the 2025 lawsuit with captions like, “Will Risa defend us … from Risa?” Hashtags #LibelForMeNotForThee and #AlyasRene trended on X (formerly Twitter) for two days.
Supporters countered that the lawmaker is merely using the legal tools available until SB 1593 is passed. One analyst noted on an ANC interview: Wanting to repeal a criminal statute does not mean you surrender protection while it is still the law of the land.
Where Is Senate Bill 1593 Now?
As of , SB 1593 remains stuck in the Senate Committee on Justice, with no committee report or counterpart House measure. Legislative observers suggest that the bill may be losing momentum just when the national conversation on cyber‑libel is heating up.
Contextual Timeline
- Dec 13 2022 — SB 1593 filed to decriminalize libel.
- Feb 2024 — Maurilio testifies before the Quiboloy inquiry.
- Jun 28 2025 — Alyas Rene video goes live on Facebook.
- Jun 30 2025 — Hontiveros vows NBI complaint, calls video “witness tampering.”
- Jul 02 2025 — Cyber‑libel complaint officially filed.
Related Read
Dive deeper into the earlier perjury allegations against the senator in this backgrounder: Senate Bill 2512 and Subornation of Perjury Claims
Legal Irony or Necessary Remedy?
Ultimately, the clash underscores a dilemma: how should public figures defend themselves against potential disinformation while also championing free expression? Until Congress modernizes libel laws, the courts—and public opinion—will continue to referee that conflict.
Your turn: Do you see Hontiveros’ lawsuit as hypocrisy or a justified shield? Share your insights below or tag @PNoyTalks on X.
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