SURIGAO del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to go after vloggers who have been maligning members of the House quadruple committee, which has been looking into the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs and the criminal activities of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
“It’s very obvious that these paid and well-organized vloggers want to destroy me, my brother (Surigao del Norte Gov. Lyndon Barbers) and quad comm members. They’re said to be the hired groups who spread lies. It’s probably because their bosses, who are POGO operators and drug lords, have been hit because of the quad comm investigations,” said Rep. Barbers, the quad comm overall chair.
The quad comm is composed of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs chaired by Barbers; Public Order and Safety chaired by Sta. Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez; Public Accounts by Rep. Stephen Joseph Paduano (PL, Abang Lingkod) and Human Rights by Manila Rep. Benny Abante.
In his letter to the NBI last November 25, Rep. Barbers asked NBI Chief Jaime Santiago to investigate and identify the persons or groups responsible for creating and posting such “damaging and misleading” vlogs and secure all digital evidence related to the vlog, including metadata, upload details, and related activity logs.
While the quad comm welcomes even the harshest criticisms, Barbers said “it does not and cannot tolerate vloggers who bend the truth, concoct lies and post them in YouTube, Tiktok and other social media platforms aimed to malign and discredit (the) Quad panel.”
He told Santiago that the deliberate disinformation drive by the seemingly organized vloggers “not only damages the integrity of public service but also fosters an environment of confusion, distrust and deception of public perception.”
He also submitted to the NBI evidence of several vlogs sourced from various social media platforms, including one from his province picked up by Manila-based “mercenary vloggers” which linked him and Gov. Barbers to illegal drugs.
The administration lawmaker said that once the vloggers are identified, the NBI should file appropriate criminal charges against them in accordance with the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
“Subject to the appreciation of your good office, these charges may include the crimes of Libel (Art. 353 RPC), Sedition (Art. 139 RPC), Conspiracy to Commit Sedition (Art. 142 of RPC). Incriminating Innocent Person Act (Art. 363 RPC) and Intriguing Against Honor (Art. 364 RPC) – all in relation to Sec. 6 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act,” Rep. Barbers said.
He said he trusts the NBI’s Cybercrime Division’s “expertise and commitment to addressing cyber-related offenses, especially those that aim to disrupt and discredit lawful and transparent public processes.”
With the NBI’s immediate attention and intervention, Barbers expressed confidence that justice will be served and the integrity of the quad comm and its members “will be protected and upheld.”
