The House Tri-Committee (Tri-Com) on Tuesday cited four prominent social media personalities in contempt for ignoring subpoenas and interfering with an ongoing congressional inquiry into online disinformation and coordinated narrative manipulation.
Cited were Allan Troy “Sass” Rogando Sasot, Mark Anthony Lopez, Lorraine Marie Tablang Badoy-Partosa, and Jeffrey Almendras Celiz.
Sasot, Badoy, and Celiz failed to attend the hearings despite multiple summons. Lopez, while previously present, was sanctioned for publicly attacking the committee and attempting to discredit the proceedings.
According to Abang Lingkod Rep. Joseph Stephen “Caraps” Paduano, chair of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Sasot, Badoy, and Celiz will be detained within the House premises until the conclusion of the hearings.
“Mr. Jeffrey Celiz, Ms. Badoy, and Ms. Sasot violated Section 11, Paragraph A,” Paduano said during the session. “I respectfully move that they be detained until the committee hearing is terminated.”
Meanwhile, Lopez was ordered detained for ten days after violating committee rules on interference with official proceedings. The motion was adopted without objection.
“Mr. Mark Anthony Lopez committed a violation under Section 11, Paragraph F of our internal rules—undue interference in congressional investigations,” Paduano said. “I move that he be detained in the House premises for ten days.”
Paduano cited a blog post by Lopez that he said undermined the committee’s credibility, quoting excerpts that alleged a “concerted effort to humiliate us and bring us down on our knees,” and accused even mainstream media of “celebrating” the committee’s perceived breakdown.
He said Lopez had been warned in a previous hearing not to issue inflammatory public statements while the investigation was ongoing.
As for Sasot, Paduano noted that the committee had sent four separate invitations, including a subpoena ad testificandum. Her repeated absence prompted him to move for contempt and request a verification of her location.
“I respectfully move that the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Immigration provide the latest information on the whereabouts of Ms. Sasot and report back to the committee,” he said.
Celiz was also served a series of notices—including a subpoena, a show-cause order, and a subpoena ad testificandum—but failed to appear. Similar to Sasot, authorities have been directed to confirm his current status.
Badoy, despite presenting travel documents indicating she was in Hong Kong, was likewise cited for contempt for her absence without legal excuse.
“Her documentation does not constitute a valid legal reason to defy the committee’s summons,” Paduano explained.
The Tri-Com is composed of the House Committees on Public Information, Public Order and Safety, and Information and Communications Technology. It is conducting an ongoing investigation into the proliferation of online disinformation and the role of digital influencers in shaping or distorting public discourse.