Cyber libel accusations leveled against Facebook meme page FTTM
A local government employee from Caloocan City has filed a cyber libel complaint against the popular Facebook meme page, Follow The Trend Movement (FTTM), for posting a meme that allegedly defamed him and violated his rights as a person with a disability.
The meme, which has since been deleted, showed the back of a person with a disability working for the Caloocan City Assessment Department while driving an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). The caption read, "LEAKED: GTA VI Caloocan City."
The employee, whose face was not shown in the photo, reported that someone recognized him and requested the deletion of the post, but only received an automated reply. The meme garnered more than 8,300 reactions, 197 comments, and 684 shares before it was taken down a day later.
FTTM's lawyer, Alexandra Soledad, stated that the Facebook post focused on the use of an ATV on a highway, not on the employee himself or his condition. Soledad added that an anonymous source submitted the photo to FTTM.
FTTM's media director, Mark Anicas, sees the cyber libel complaint against FTTM as an "overreach" and a potential attempt to suppress press freedom and freedom of speech. Anicas emphasized that FTTM has been expressing support for people with disabilities (PWDs) for years and that the meme in question was a form of political satire and social commentary on government accountability.
The filing of the reply-affidavit of the Caloocan employee is scheduled on Wednesday, August 13. The matter remains pending, with FTTM continuing to defend the post as lawful protected speech.
The Caloocan Local Government Unit (LGU) has been the subject of numerous memes from FTTM since May, with residents and even non-Caloocan residents reporting their complaints to the page in hopes of action from their LGUs.
Eirene Manatlao, a senior journalism student at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and an Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow of our website for 2025, reported on the case. Manatlao is also the associate feature editor of The Catalyst.
- The Twitter account of Follow The Trend Movement (FTTM) shared a tweet raising concerns about the potential suppression of their freedom of speech, as they face a cyber libel complaint relating to a meme about politics and government accountability.
- In the midst of the ongoing court case involving the Caloocan City employee's cyber libel complaint against FTTM, discussions about the role of social media in general-news, entertainment, and political discourse have gained traction, sparking debates on the boundaries of free speech and press freedom.
