Content creator Jeff Jacinto, known online as Ileiad, is appealing to actor Mon Confiado to withdraw the cyber libel complaint filed against him. 

In an email to news media outlet Rappler on Wednesday, August 14, Jeff shared that he had apologized to Mon through an online message, and asked the actor to help stop the ongoing harassment he has been facing.

The issue began when Mon took to his Facebook page on August 9 to call out the content creator for making a false story about meeting him at a grocery store and then portraying the actor as rude and arrogant. 

The post was a “copypasta”, which is a text commonly shared on the internet to provoke reactions or for humorous purposes. 

Following the call out, Mon filed a cyber libel complaint with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Monday, August 12. 

READ: Mon Confiado engages in legal battle against content creator

Jeff explained to Rappler that he was forced to deactivate his social media accounts due to the backlash. He described his page, Ileiad, as a platform for “memes and humorous comments about pop culture” inspired by discussions on the 4chan imageboard’s “/tv/” forum, which mainly caters to an international audience. 

The Facebook page is intended to be satirical, and the Mon post was Jeff’s attempt to bring 4chan-style humor to Filipino pop culture. Jeff acknowledged that his attempt to localize this humor might not have been well understood by his audience.

Mon, in a post on his social media, expressed concern that the joke could be misinterpreted, particularly because many people might not be familiar with the concept of copypasta. He emphasized that sharing such content on Facebook, where misinformation can easily spread, could be damaging. 

READ: Mon Confiado slams Facebook troll for malicious ‘joke,’ considers legal action

Before filing the complaint, Mon had asked Jeff to take down the post. However, Jeff initially added only a disclaimer, which led to the actor pursuing legal action.

Jeff admitted to Rappler that it was a mistake not to remove the post immediately after Mon’s request. He reflected on his previous actions, admitting that his initial response lacked sincerity and was an attempt to “save face.” 

Jeff said he did not anticipate the situation escalating to this extent. He now recognizes that while certain meme content may be understood in specific online communities like 4chan, it can have harmful effects if shared on broader platforms like Facebook. He expressed regret, saying, “Not foreseeing the repercussions, I wish I could have just taken it down the moment I saw him [Mon] in the comments.” Jeff also mentioned that he has never personally met Mon.

—by Samantha Prats