P-pop girl group BINI has taken legal action against an unnamed individual for unjust vexation after they made a negative edit of the girls while they were trying classic Filipino snacks.
In an Instagram post by their legal counsel Atty. Joji Alonso, all eight members of the group have now filed their complaint against the individual for “unjust vexation” under Article 287 in relation to Section 4 (b) of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Unjust vexation refers to any human conduct that causes annoyance, irritation, torment, distress, or disturbance to another person without justification. According to the Revised Penal Code, violators are punished with imprisonment from one to 30 days or a fine ranging from P1,000 to P40,000, or both.
“This emanated from the splicing of a 25-minute video of the BINI members, trying and rating Filipino street food. The uploaded spliced version was cut to [two] minutes and only showed [their] negative reactions, completely changing the show’s narrative,” Alfonso said.
“This fueled online hate and bashing against BINI. This even escalated to personal attacks, name-calling, and grave insults. The malicious splicing of the video unjustly threw them in a bad light, causing irreparable emotional and mental distress,” she added.
Alfonso stressed that the freedom to post online is “not an absolute right,” and must be “accompanied by truth, accountability and responsibility.”
“Right to free speech ends when it starts to malign reputations or cause harm and damage upon others,” she said.
“BINI is taking a strong stance against this digital form of abuse which is prevalent. Literally anyone may fall victim. In filing this case, BINI stands as a voice in fighting for all those who remain unheard,” she added.
While the spliced video that led to the complaint has not been specified, it appeared to have originated from the video posted by People Vs Food in July on YouTube, where BINI made a guest appearance to try out Filipino snacks.
In it, members Jhoanna, Stacey, Gwen, Aiah, Mikha, Sheena, Colet, and Maloi joined host Nicole Iizuka and Filipina reactor Jayka Noelle as they tried out 11 classic treats and street food.
These include kwek-kwek, hopiang baboy, grilled isaw, balut, and more.
While some viewers were entertained by the video, others did not appreciate some of BINI’s comments on the snacks they tried. Nevertheless, some fans defended the girls and emphasized that they were merely sharing their honest opinion about their preferences.