CONGRESS should pass a law punishing vloggers who sell political contents to the highest bidders, especially an expansionist country like China which is bullying the Philippines in its own exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez said yesterday.
Gutierrez said Congress should address “how paid social media personalities and influencers amplify these narratives,” stressing that foreign entities should not be allowed to “buy influence and distort public perception.”
“I think another issue that we have to discuss thoroughly in the tri comm is the commercialization of vloggers. Freedom of speech, that’s understandable, it’s the right of everyone, but if you sell your trade, your statements for money, if you are selling your opinion to the highest bidder, and if that highest bidder is a foreign entity, I think there should be some limitations, there should be some punitive actions in relation to that,” he told a press conference.
Gutierrez said that freedom of speech is not absolute, especially when false narratives endanger national security and interests.
The tri committee – which is composed of the Committees on Public Order, Public Information, and Communications Technology (ICT) – are looking to unmask peddlers of alleged “fake news” and disinformation and their supposed benefactors.
The panel, which is set to resume its hearing today, has discovered how disinformation networks are able to manipulate online discourse to mislead the public for the benefit of benefactors.
The joint committee is reviewing the effectiveness of 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.
The panel, chaired by Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, last February 4 issued show cause orders against several vloggers and social media personalities, including former Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) chief Trixie Cruz-Angeles, after 39 of them snubbed the joint panel’s hearing on the spread of fake news and disinformation.
The show cause orders were also issued against Elizabeth Joie Cruz also known as Joie De Vivre online; Krizette Lauretta Chu; Mark Anthony Lopez; Jun Abines Jr.; Dr. Richard Tesoro Mata; Aaron Peña, Suzanne Batalla aka IamShanwein; and Ethel Pineda.
Fernandez has said that the panel may eventually subpoena the resource persons or order their arrest after citing them in contempt if they will continue to skip the next hearings or if they fail to satisfactorily explain their absence.
Gutierrez said the tri comm should zero in on the alleged Chinese-backed disinformation campaigns on social media, particularly their links to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) dispute and the political propaganda benefiting the family of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
“It was mentioned by one of the resource persons, I think it was PressOnePH, that there was a link between misinformation and allegedly Chinese-owned accounts, Chinese backing,” he said. “There is allegedly a link between Chinese backing of misinformation in the West Philippine Sea and political campaigns for certain individuals in the country.”
PressOne. PH earlier exposed an alleged massive disinformation campaign fueled by Chinese-controlled social media accounts after its investigation uncovered over 107 fake X (formerly Twitter) accounts with Chinese names that were initially created for Spanish-speaking audiences but have now been repurposed to spread falsehoods about the WPS issue and amplify pro-Duterte propaganda.
Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong agreed that there is a need to regulate “this dissemination of mal-information, disinformation.”
“You have the right to say… but it does not mean that you can do whatever you want with that kind of right,” he said.
The Fernandez panel will also examine the tax compliance and financial transparency of social media influencers and vloggers, through the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
“We are not only looking into the spread of disinformation but also ensuring that these influencers and vloggers comply with tax regulations,” said Fernandez, who chairs the House Committee on Public Order and Safety. “We’ll ask vloggers to submit their income tax returns so it could be examined by the BIR.”
If online content creators are earning from their content, whether through ads, sponsorships, or monetization schemes, Fernandez said “ they should be paying their fair share of taxes like any other income earner.”
Lawmakers will also look into potential legal actions against those who fail to comply with tax laws, Fernandez said, adding that the joint panel is also considering new regulations that could mandate tax registration for online influencers, require social media platforms to report influencer earnings, and impose stricter penalties for non-compliance.
In 2021, the BIR issued a memorandum reminding social media influencers of their obligation to register, file tax returns, and declare all income derived from digital platforms.
“This is about transparency and fairness. If traditional media, businesses, and workers all pay taxes, then digital influencers who earn from public engagement should do the same,” Fernandez said.
