Follow The Trend Movement (FTTM) has released an official statement through its legal counsel, asserting that the viral meme at the center of a cyber libel and unjust vexation complaint was a form of satire protected under the Constitution. The statement, dated August 9 and posted on FTTM’s social media page, comes after a Caloocan City LGU employee accused the page of making fun of his disability.
According to the statement from Soledad and Associates Law Office, the meme captioned “LEAKED GTA VI Caloocan City” was a “satirical parody combining the GTA VI branding with a third-party image showing an all-terrain vehicle (‘ATV’) on a public road — an act prohibited under LTO Memorandum Circular No. RIB-2007-799.” The post, they stressed, was “aimed at the traffic violation and setting, and not at any individual.”
FTTM maintained that the content had “no reference, direct or implied, to any person’s disability, and was created without malicious intent.” The statement further said, “The complainant is neither identified nor targeted in the post.”
The legal counsel emphasized that the case contradicts one of FTTM’s advocacies — supporting the rights of persons with disabilities — and cited the page’s history of pro-PWD posts. “We can’t advocate for something and then eventually go against it,” FTTM media director Mark Anicas had earlier told Rappler.
Lawyer Alexandra G. Soledad argued that punishing satire based on misinterpretation “would pose a chilling effect and serious threat to free speech and discourage legitimate social commentary online.” She added, “We will explore all legal remedies to safeguard our clients’ interest and defend Constitutionally protected freedoms of the press and free expression.”
