THREE committees of the House of Representatives tasked to unmask peddlers of alleged “fake news” and disinformation and their supposed benefactors yesterday invited 40 social media personalities to attend its hearing tomorrow to allow administration lawmakers investigating the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs and the criminal activities of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) to confront their accusers.
The newly formed tri committee, led by overall chair Sta. Rosa Rep. Dan Fernandez, is composed of the Committees on Public Order, Public Information, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
The vloggers, who were invited as resource persons, are known for their influence on social media platforms, where they engage in political discourse, news analysis, and online commentary.
The list includes Malou Tiquia, Jose Yumang Sonza, Krizette Lauretta Chu, Mark Anthony Lopez, Allan Troy “Sass” Rogando Sasot, MJ Quiambao Reyes, Vivian Zapata Rodriguez, Ethel Pineda, Lorraine Marie Tablang Badoy-Partosa, Jeffrey Almendras Celiz, Lord Byron Cristobal also known as Banat By, Alex Destor aka Tio Moreno, Aaron Peña aka Old School Pinoy, Glen Chong, Manuel Mata Jr. aka Kokolokoy, Elizabeth Joie Cruz aka Joie De Vivre, and Claro Ganac.
Also invited are Claire Eden Contreras aka Maharlika Boldyakera, Jonathan Morales, Cyrus Preglo (Optics Politics), Maricar Serrano, Ernesto Abines Jr., Trixie Cruz Angeles, Julius Melanosi Maui aka Maui Spencer, Darwin Salceda (Boss Dada TV), Elmer Jugalbot aka Eb Jugalbot, Cathy Binag, MJ Mondejar, Suzanne Batalla aka IamShanwein, Joe Smith Medina aka Political Witch Boy, Jeffrey Cruz aka JCCO or JJ Cruz, Alven Montero, Kester Ramon John Balibalos Tan aka Mr. Realtalker, Edwin Jamora aka Reyna Elena, Ma. Florinda Espenilla-Duque aka Pebbles Duque, Richard Tesoro Mata, Ahmed Paglinawan (Luminous by Trixie & Ahmed), Ryan Lingo, Enzo Recto aka Ricky Tomotorgo, and Ross Flores Del Rosario (Wazzup Philippines).
The joint panel also invited representatives from Google, Meta (Facebook), and ByteDance (TikTok), as well as officials from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the PNP and the Department of Justice, who are expected to discuss regulatory challenges and enforcement mechanisms against online disinformation.
Fernandez, chair of the Committee on Public Order and Safety, said the joint panel aims to expose the machinery that is funding the operations meant to malign and discredit congressmen and other fake news victims.
Fernandez said the hearing will be live-streamed for public viewing in the hope that it will spark a national conversation on responsible online discourse and expose the vulnerabilities of social media to fake news and propaganda.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chair of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs and overall chair of the quad committee investigating the drug war and POGO issues, earlier urged the NBI to go after vloggers who have been maligning the chairmen and members of the joint panel.
Barbers, whose privilege speech last month triggered the tri-committee inquiry, has submitted to the NBI video evidence of several vlogs sourced from various social media platforms, including one from his province and picked up by those he called Manila-based “mercenary vloggers.”
Barbers has said the deliberate disinformation drive by the seemingly organized and paid vloggers “not only damages the integrity of public service but also fosters an environment of confusion, distrust and deception of public perception.”
The vloggers posted online content that linked the quad committee chairperson and his brother, Surigao del Norte Gov. Lyndon Barbers, to illegal drugs.
Fernandez said the inquiry “seeks to identify weaknesses in existing laws and policies governing digital platforms and to propose solutions to ensure the public has access to accurate and reliable information.”
“The House will not tolerate deliberate misinformation campaigns that exploit digital platforms for political or financial gain,” he said.
The briefing will focus on representatives from major social media platforms to shed light on their “policies and accountability measures in combating fake news, cyberbullying and harmful content.”
The tri-committee is expected to review the effectiveness of these platforms in curbing disinformation and to identify gaps that need to be addressed through legislation to ensure that perpetrators will be held accountable.
The House is also expected to push for stronger policies that will ensure social media platforms implement stricter safeguards and penalties against violators.
Among the key issues to be tackled are the transparency of social media platforms in identifying and removing false information, the enforcement of accountability measures against repeat offenders such as irresponsible vloggers and influencers and the broader impact of disinformation on national security, particularly about the West Philippine Sea (WPS) dispute since many vloggers are parroting Chinese propaganda.
