‘Thinking Pinoy’ on Trillanes’ libel complaint: This is where your taxes go

"This is where your taxes go."

This is how blogger RJ Nieto, the man behind the widely followed ThinkingPinoy blog, plans to start his official response to the libel complaint Senator Antonio Trillanes IV had filed against him.

As usual, Nieto took to ThinkingPinoy to respond to the senator's allegations: "I have yet to receive a copy of Antonio ‘Sonny’ Trillanes IV's libel complaint, but wouldn't it be fun if it starts with, ‘This is where your taxes go.’?"

Seemingly mocking Trillanes' mental health, the sharp-tongued Nieto, who has criticized opposition lawmakers through his Facebook posts, also said: "The [C]onstitution should be amended to require psychiatric tests for senators."

Trillanes filed a libel complaint against Nieto over a Facebook post which "reported" that the senator was a drug lord. The post was anchored on the apparently false information that US President Donald Trump referred to Trillanes as a "little narco."

The source of Nieto's post, it turned out, was a column that was apparently made in jest. Veteran journalist Al Pedroche, who was responsible for the original column, has apologized to Trillanes. He wasn't included in the libel charge, and neither was the Philippine Star columnist who wrote another piece taking off from Pedroche's.

Trillanes and Nieto sit on opposite sides of the political fence: Trillanes is a fierce critic of President Rodrigo Duterte who has called for an investigation into the Chief Executive's wealth, while Nieto is a staunch supporter.

Nieto previously served as a consultant at the Department of Foreign Affairs. — MDM, GMA News