PCSO chief hires Johnny Depp’s lawyer in case vs vlogger Maharlika

PCSO General Manager Mel Robles (second from left) poses for a photo with lawyer Camille Vasquez (third from left) after meeting with his legal team at the offices of Brown Rudnick law firm in Los Angeles. CONTRIBUTED

LOS ANGELES – Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Melquiades Robles has hired lawyer Camille Vasquez – known for representing actor Johnny Depp in the defamation case he had brought against his ex-wife Amber Heard – in his lawsuit vs. vlogger Claire Contreras alias “Maharlika.”

Vasquez, an expert in defamation litigation, has also represented other Hollywood celebrities, including Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lopez.

Robles announced in a press conference on Sunday that he has filed complaints of defamation, defamation per se and invasion of privacy against Contreras before the Central District Court of California.

Robles said he wanted to “defend the honor, name, reputation and dignity of his family” and to stop Maharlika from “continuously harassing and maligning them through her online vlog.”

The complaint, which was filed in the US court last July 15, said Contreras began her “false smear campaign” against Robles and his family in December 2023.

“In more than 20 separate videos that were posted on the internet and made available to the public, Ms. Contreras falsely accused the Robleses of everything – from contract killing and assisting terrorists to stealing from the Filipino people,” the complaint stated.

Robles said in a separate press statement that Contreras reportedly included his wife and their children, who are minors, in the allegations.

“Ms. Contreras’ numerous false and defamatory statements detailed below have caused substantial harm to the reputations of the Robleses and diminished their esteem in their community and country,” according to the complaint.

Contreras, who is based in Los Angeles, was initially known as a pro-Marcos content creator. She gained popularity during the 2022 national elections for supporting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte.

Robles bewailed the “daily barrage of vicious, unjustifiable and blatantly false attacks through Contreras’ YouTube Channel,” which boasts of over 325,000 subscribers and over 68 million views.

“For reasons unknown to us, she continues to deliberately spread malicious lies against us while also calling me various names that were meant to deride and denigrate my reputation,” Robles said.

“For the longest time, we tried to keep our peace, fully aware that her accusations were nothing but sheer lies and fabrications—products of her vile imagination and hateful heart.”

The PCSO chief added they have complete faith that the court of law “will deliver the punishment she deserves, vindicating us and helping restore our tarnished name and honor.”

The Depp v. Heard trial, which was livestreamed, received widespread viewership around the world, with a hashtag of Vasquez’ name gaining over 980 million impressions on TikTok.

After the trial, Vasquez was promoted from associate to partner at international law firm Brown Rudnick. She was also hired by NBC News as a legal analyst in 2023.