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Cyberbullying victim sues Top Gear PH editorial board

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Niko Baua, ABS-CBN News

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nestor Punzalan files an online libel complaint against TopGear Ph editorial board in the NBI Cyber Crimes Division. <a href="https://t.co/ZKSebP2Ary">pic.twitter.com/ZKSebP2Ary</a></p>— Nikolo Baua (@Nikobaua) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nikobaua/status/763993401058439170">August 12, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="~//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script><p>A Facebook user who was wrongfully identified as a suspect in a controversial road rage killing last month has sued the editorial board of Top Gear Philippines for online libel. </p><p>In his complaint, Punzalan said he wants Top Gear Philippines editor-in-chief Vernon Sarne to resign for erroneously tagging him in the Quiapo road rage incident.</p><p>Sarne earlier took full responsibility for posting a link to Punzalan&#x27;s Facebook profile on the Top Gear Philippines FB page. This was after Punzalan was falsely accused as the killer of cyclist Mark Vincent Garalde. </p><p>Top Gear Philippines also posted a photo of Punzalan&#x27;s car, which was coincidentally a Hyundai Eon model, similar to the car in the incident.</p><p>&quot;I was responsible for posting the photo of Mr. Punzalan&#x27;s vehicle, and I realize now that I shouldn&#x27;t have done so. I accept full responsibility. This is all on me,&quot; Sarne said.</p><p>&quot;The buck stops here. This is all my fault,&quot; he added.</p><div><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/trending/07/27/16/top-gear-sorry-for-identifying-wrong-suspect-in-road-rage">Top Gear PH sorry for identifying wrong suspect in road rage</a></div><p>Punzalan earlier told ABS-CBN&#x27;s TV Patrol that he and his wife had to sleep at the National Bureau of Investigation after receiving death threats online after the incident. </p><p>&quot;I was traumatized. I feared for my life,&quot; he said. </p><div><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/video/trending/07/27/16/top-gear-balak-kasuhan-ng-napagkamalang-suspek-sa-pamamaril">Top Gear, balak kasuhan ng napagkamalang suspek sa pamamaril</a></div><p>The NBI later confirmed that Punzalan was not the killer in the Garalde case. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/news-special1/nation/07/27/072716_road.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">A road rage incident leads to the death of cyclist Mark Vincent Garalde at P. Casal Street in Quiapo, Manila. The suspect in the killing was later arrested in Masbate. <em>Nikon Celis, ABS-CBN News</em></div></figcaption></figure></div><p>The real killer, ex-Army reservist Von Tanto, was <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/29/16/look-road-rage-suspect-in-custody">arrested</a> in Masbate last July 29.</p><div><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/30/16/excl-road-rage-suspect-says-cyclist-was-arrogan">EXCL: Road rage suspect says cyclist was arrogant</a></div>

<p>A Facebook user who was wrongfully identified as a suspect in a controversial road rage killing last month has sued the editorial board of Top Gear Philippines for online libel.</p>

A Facebook user who was wrongfully identified as a suspect in a controversial road rage killing last month has sued the editorial board of Top Gear Philippines for online libel.

Cyberbullying victim sues Top Gear PH editorial board

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Cyberbullying victim sues Top Gear PH editorial board

Niko Baua,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 12, 2016 03:41 PM PHT

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