P-pop group BINI files cybercrime case over spliced video

Dubai: Filipino girl group BINI has gone to court after what they say was a maliciously edited video turned them into targets of online abuse.

On Monday, the eight-member group, along with their lawyer Joji Alonso, appeared at the Hall of Justice in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, to file a formal complaint against an unnamed uploader. The case cites 'unjust vexation' under Article 287 in relation to Section 4 (b) of RA 10175 or the Cybercrime prevention act of 2012.

At the center of the case is a spliced video of the girls sampling classic Filipino street food. The original ran about 25 minutes. A spliced version, chopped down to just two minutes, stripped away most of the lighthearted reactions and left only negative comments. The result, Alonso said, “completely changed the narrative” and painted the group as dismissive of local food.

The backlash was swift. Online bashing escalated into hate, name-calling and grave insults, the lawyer noted, leaving the members with what she described as 'extreme mental and emotional anguish.'

“All eight of them suffered because of this. It goes beyond simple criticism,” Alonso told reporters after the filing. “This is not a libel case. This is a cybercrime case, because the actions fall under unjust vexation.”

BINI, made up of members Jhoanna, Aiah, Colet, Maloi, Gwen, Stacey, Mikha, and Sheena, took their oath before prosecutors before submitting their sworn statements. Court records show they are also seeking damages of ₱1 million per member, or a total of ₱8 million.

The penalty, if the respondent is found guilty, is not light: prison time of six to twelve years.

Freedom to post online is "not an absolute right, Alonso said. “Right to free speech ends when it starts to malign reputations or cause harm and damage upon others”, she added.