Veteran actor Mon Confiado has taken legal action against content creator Jeff Jacinto, also known as Ileiad, for allegedly fabricating a story about an encounter between the two at a grocery store.
Confiado filed a criminal complaint against Jacinto at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Cybercrime Division on Monday, August 12.
The controversy erupted after Jacinto posted on Facebook, claiming that Confiado had been rude to a cashier and failed to pay for 15 chocolate bars. The post quickly gained attention but was promptly refuted by Confiado, who denied any such incident took place.
In a Facebook post, Confiado explained his decision to pursue legal action, stressing that the use of someone’s name and image without permission is a crime. “Dear Mr. Jeff Leanneroie Bonilla Jacinto alias Ileiad, nawa’y maging aral sa iyo ito at sa ating lahat. Na ang paggamit ng pangalan at larawan ng walang pahintulot ay krimen. Na hindi lahat ng jokes ay nakakatawa at hindi lahat ng jokes ay para sa lahat. Dapat sana ang joke ay nakakapagpasaya at hindi nakakasira ng tao,” Confiado wrote.
Confiado, known for his low-key lifestyle, emphasized that he has never been involved in any trouble and that his reputation is crucial to his career. “Ako ay isang tahimik na tao. Never na nasangkot sa kahit isa o anumang mang gulo sa buong buhay ko. Wala ako ni isang kaaway o nakaaway man lang. Ako ay tahimik na nagtratrabaho lamang bilang aktor,” he continued. “At bilang aktor, ang aking pangalan ay aking pinagkaka ingat-ingatan dahil ito ang aking puhunan para ako ay makakuha ng trabaho. Ngunit ako ay nagulat dahil biglang direktang ginamit mo ang aking pangalan at larawan ng walang pasintabi sa isang joke na tinatawag niyong ‘copypaste.’ Ang problema… kahit ito ay isang joke o ‘meme’ lamang, hindi pamilyar ang lahat ng tao dito at ito ay ipinost mo sa Facebook,” he said.
The actor expressed concern that Jacinto’s false claims could damage his professional opportunities, including ongoing film projects, endorsements, and potential brand ambassador roles. “Alam mo naman ang mga tao ay napakadaling maniwala sa mga ganyang posts. Siyempre ang ilan dyan ay maniniwala at ire-repost agad dahil katulad mo ay gusto lang din makakuha ng mga likes kahit may masagasaan. Ako ay may mga ginagawang pelikula, may mga endorsements at may on-going na transaction para maging ‘brand ambassador’ ng isang produkto,” Confiado questioned.
“Paano kung dahil sa maling pagkakaintindi sa joke mo ay maapektuhan ang aking mga trabaho? Dapat ba ay tumahimik lang ako? Dapat ba ako pa ang mag adjust at pabayaan ko na lang at huwag na ako mag react?” added Confiado.
Confiado also criticized Jacinto’s response to his initial call-out, describing it as insincere and pointing out that the post was not taken down immediately. “Mr. Jeff Jacinto, uulitin ko, ako ay nananahimik at ginulo mo. Pero nung nag comment ako sa post mo at sa messenger mo, sinabihan mo pa ako ng ‘is this a threat?’ Hindi mo pa din ito tinanggal hanggang kinabukasan ng gabi. Oo. Nag public apology ka kunwari later on pero sarcastic at hindi sincere. At wala ni katiting na pagsisisi at proud ka pa sa ginawa mo,” Confiado said. “At ginagawa niyo pa akong katatawanan ng mga followers mo. At ngayon ikaw na ang biktima at ako na ang masama.”
Confiado made it clear that his complaint is serious and urged Jacinto to take the matter seriously. As of press time, Jacinto has not responded to the legal complaint, and his Facebook page appears to have been deactivated.
