Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers denounced the legal maneuvers of certain social media vloggers attempting to derail the legislative efforts of the House Tri-Committee, which is working on regulations to curb misuse and abuse by online content creators.
Barbers, chair of the House’s Quad Committee and head of the Dangerous Drugs panel, criticized the filing of certiorari and libel cases against him and other committee members, dismissing them as baseless. Confident that the cases will not hold weight, he pointed out that he never named specific individuals in his statements regarding so-called “narco-vloggers.”
In previous privilege speeches before the House plenary, Barbers condemned vloggers allegedly involved in illicit activities for their disrespectful behavior, use of expletives, and defamatory attacks against lawmakers spearheading efforts to regulate social media content.
“If those who filed libel cases against me felt alluded to as narco-vloggers, then perhaps they see themselves as such. Why take offense if they are not guilty?” Barbers questioned.
While upholding free speech and expression as enshrined in the Constitution, he stressed that these rights do not grant a license to spread falsehoods, malign reputations, or hurl profanities at individuals. “I firmly believe they are not doing this for free,” he added, implying ulterior motives behind the attacks.
Barbers noted that many of those who filed cases against him had been summoned to appear before the Tri-Committee hearings but refused to do so.
“It’s clear they want to use the courts as a shield while continuing their smear campaigns and spreading misinformation against those who oppose their political agenda,” he said.
He further pointed out that several vloggers involved appear to be echoing the same propaganda narratives, presumably on behalf of their backers. “Criticizing our work is fair, but resorting to vulgarity and deliberate misrepresentation without even seeking our side of the story is unacceptable,” Barbers asserted.
He also accused these vloggers of cowardice, saying their refusal to attend public hearings indicates a lack of accountability for their statements.
“I call on the public to exercise discernment when consuming online content, especially from creators who spread lies, misinformation, and baseless accusations without presenting both sides of the story,” he urged.
The House’s Tri-Committee, composed of the Committees on Public Order and Safety (chaired by Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez), Public Information (chaired by Rep. Tobias Tiangco), and Communications and Technology (chaired by Rep. Jose Aquino III), has been conducting hearings to draft legislation regulating social media vloggers and bloggers.
Meanwhile, the complainant vloggers have petitioned the Supreme Court for Certiorari and Prohibition against Reps. Hernandez, Tiangco, Aquino III, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The High Court has yet to issue a ruling on the matter.