Ex-senator sues Google, YouTube and ‘Bungangera TV’ for cybercrime

CYBERCRIME complaints against Google and YouTube were filed by a former Philippine senator before the Department of Justice (DoJ) on Monday for allegedly “aiding and abetting” a content creator that has maligned his reputation.

Francis “Kiko” N. Pangilinan, former senator and candidate for vice president in the 2022 elections, sued Filipino YouTube channel, Bungangera TV, for cyber libel by allegedly “maligning his reputation as a public servant, husband, and father.”

He included Google and YouTube in the complaint, citing supposed violations under the Philippines’ Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (RA 10175).

“The titles, thumbnails, and all other contents of the videos pertaining to me and my family are all false, have no factual basis, and are intended to destroy or damage my reputation,” Mr. Pangilinan wrote in his 10-page affidavit.

Mr. Pangilinan told reporters that he has been addressing his complaints to Google and YouTube since December 2023, but the Bungangera TV videos he called out remained posted on the streaming platform.

“As regards the authorized representatives, officers, and/ or directors of Google/YouTube Philippines, I am filing this complaint against them for aiding or abetting the commission of cybercrime under Section 5(a) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 for allowing Bungangera TV to upload and maintain videos containing libelous thumbnails, captions, and titles on its online platform,” read part of his affidavit.

The online channel has more than 79,000 subscribers and almost 15 million views to date, but the identity of its owner is still unknown. Mr. Pangilinan said he is hoping YouTube would cooperate to identify the owners behind Bungangera TV.

“We sought the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Cybercrime Division to preserve Bungangera TV’s videos and related data,” he said. “Once the owner/s, author/s, or person/s responsible for the creation and management of Bungangera TV and the libelous videos is/are identified, I will pursue legal action against him/her/them, and I intend to use the data collected and preserved as evidence.”

Mervin Wenke, communications head of Google for the Philippines, said that aside from flagging inappropriate content for review, “people can submit complaints against content they believe violate their rights, including defamation, by filing legal complaints through the online legal removals webform.”

“YouTube, which is operated by Google LLC based in the US, has clear policies that outline what content is not acceptable to post. The company quickly takes action against the videos and creators violating these policies when flagged,” said Mr. Wenke.