The House Tri Committee announced on Wednesday that 11 social media personalities and vloggers could face contempt and detention if they continue to skip its investigation on disinformation.
Among those who may be cited for contempt are former Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Atty. Trixie Cruz-Angeles, former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Lorraine Marie Badoy-Partosa, Aeron Peña, and Allan Troy “Sass” Rogando Sasot. Other personalities on the list include Elizabeth Joie Cruz, Dr. Ethel Pineda Garcia, Jeffrey Almendras Celiz, Krizette Laureta Chu, Mark Anthony Lopez, Mary Jean Quiambao Reyes, and Richard Tesoro Mata.
The Tri Committee is set to resume its probe into the spread of misinformation and disinformation online on Friday. During its second hearing in February, the committee issued subpoenas to the listed content creators after they repeatedly failed to appear.
Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano previously stated that most of the absent individuals gave “similar justifications,” citing their petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court as the reason for their absence.
Tri Committee overall chairperson and Santa Rosa Rep. Dan Fernandez defended the probe, emphasizing that “disinformation is a national security issue.” He highlighted that disinformation “erodes public trust, destabilizes institutions, and manipulates democratic discourse.” Fernandez stressed that the committee has the power to cite individuals in contempt to protect the integrity of congressional investigations.
“Congress has the authority to summon individuals to testify on matters of public interest. Ignoring lawful orders is a direct challenge to our institution and the democratic principles we protect,” Fernandez said.
Surigao Del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers clarified that the inquiry does not intend to suppress freedom of expression. Instead, he stated that the objective is to establish best practices to regulate information dissemination on social media.
“In fact, we are all aware that this is provided for in our Constitution, and we’d like to respect the right of everyone to his own opinion or expression. Contrary to what others may be thinking, this is not a tool to suppress their expressions or opinions on certain issues,” Barbers said.
The third hearing, set for Friday, will include testimonies from officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and other relevant agencies.
Additionally, show cause orders were issued to social media platforms Meta (Facebook) and ByteDance (TikTok) after their Philippine representatives failed to attend previous hearings. Google Philippines is also expected to participate.
Media organizations such as the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), Manila Broadcasting Company, PressOne.PH, and VERA Files are set to present findings on the spread of “fake news.”
Prominent figures, including Jay Sonza, Vivian Velez, Enzo Recto, and George Ahmed Paglinawan, were also summoned to testify.