8Chan owner files cyber libel complaint vs. founder

The owner of online message board 8Chan has filed a cyber libel complaint against the website's founder in the Philippines.

James Arthur "Jim" Watkins sought the indictment of Fredrick Brennan before the Pasig City prosecutor's office on October 30, Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete confirmed on Tuesday.

The accusation was based on Brennan's tweets in which he claimed that Watkins was "going senile" and that 8Chan's administrators — Watkins and his son — were "terrible incompetent people."

"Clearly, the Respondent's Twitter posts are not only an innocent commenter, with knee-jerk reactions and comments just to catch in on the controversy," Watkins' complaint reads.

"His statements were posted out of pure hate and lust for vengeance to ride on and exacerbate the issue so as to darken the reputation and competence of the complainant," it adds.

Brennan was summoned to appear before an assistant city prosecutor on November 27 and December 4, according to a copy of the subpoena he posted on Twitter.

After a preliminary investigation, the prosecutor will determine whether to file charges in court.

8Chan is linked to deadly mass shootings in El Paso, Texas in the US and in Christchurch, New Zealand this year, having reportedly been used by the gunmen before carrying out their attacks.

Both Watkins and Brennan are based in the Philippines, where conviction of cyber libel under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 is punishable by six to 10 years of imprisonment.

Several US states also have criminal defamation laws.

Brennan said he is looking forward to submitting his response to the complaint. 

"The filed case is weak," he said in a November 7 tweet. —KBK, GMA News