Several pro-Duterte vloggers and influencers attended Friday’s House Tri-Committee hearing after the Supreme Court (SC) declined to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) that would have halted the ongoing congressional investigation into fake news and online disinformation.
Among those present were former Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) chief Trixie Cruz-Angeles, Krizette Laureta Chu, Ahmed Paglinawan, Elizabeth Joie Cruz, Ethel Pineda Garcia, Mark Anthony Lopez, Mary Jane Quiambao Reyes, Marc Louie Gamboa, and Richard Tesoro Mata.
The House panel had previously issued subpoenas to six of them, excluding Paglinawan and Gamboa.
Their attendance comes after the SC’s decision allowed the House hearings to proceed, rejecting the petitioners’ plea for immediate relief.
The vloggers initially defied the summons, arguing before the Supreme Court that the inquiry infringed on their right to free speech. In their petition, they claimed the investigation lacked a clear legislative objective and unfairly singled them out for supporting former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Despite these arguments, the SC’s refusal to issue a TRO cleared the way for the Tri-Committee to continue its probe.
Lawmakers have since warned that persistent defiance of committee summonses could result in contempt charges and potential detention.
During the hearing, members of the Tri-Comm reiterated that the investigation is conducted in aid of legislation, focusing on how disinformation affects public trust, electoral processes, and national security.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, a committee leader, emphasized the need to examine if public funds were used to finance coordinated disinformation campaigns aimed at manipulating public opinion.
The probe centers on the alleged involvement of political influencers in disseminating misleading content to sway public discourse.
In their defense, Cruz-Angeles, Chu, Lopez, and Mata asserted that their content is protected under freedom of expression, maintaining that their platforms foster legitimate political conversation rather than misinformation.
The Tri-Committee—comprising the Committees on Public Information, Good Government and Public Accountability, and Information and Communications Technology—seeks to determine whether additional regulations on online disinformation are necessary.
Lawmakers expressed concern over the deliberate use of social media to spread altered images and videos, including debunked claims of massive protests calling for Duterte’s return.
Legislators stressed the importance of balancing free speech protections with accountability mechanisms to curb the intentional spread of false information that distorts public discourse and undermines democratic processes.