Lawmakers Support Cases Filed Against Bloggers to Uphold Truth
MANILA, Philippines — Cases filed against bloggers and vloggers who spread false information about individuals, including government officials, are essential for promoting transparency and accountability, Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong emphasized on Monday.
Before submitting his proposed bills for the 20th Congress, Adiong was asked about Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) West Philippine Sea spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela’s recent decision to file a lawsuit against vlogger Sass Rogando Sasot. Tarriela alleges that Sasot spread misinformation about him.
Tarriela explained that he filed complaints against Sasot after she made baseless accusations without presenting concrete evidence. Among her claims were that he received money bags from 19th Congress House Speaker Martin Romualdez and that he earned a “talent fee” from the United States.
“It is really needed, when we talk about transparency, (it) also comes (with) accountability, you cannot just say anything about issues, and state misleading information that goes in accordance with your biases and not out of an intention to provide the public with the correct information,” Adiong told reporters at the Batasang Pambansa complex, speaking in Filipino.
“Many in our society today unfortunately are engaged into information dissemination, (they) use the social media platforms to spread their unverified claims and some of the claims are even not only […] an attack to the credibility of an individual, but they are also based on an absolute falsity,” he added.
Tri-Committee’s Report Backs Social Media Regulation
Adiong, who served on the House of Representatives’ tri-committee in the 19th Congress, shared that several lawmakers plan to refile bills contained in the committee report. These measures aim to hold social media platforms accountable and regulate their operation within the country.
The tri-committee’s report, adopted by the 19th Congress House, included legislation requiring foreign-based social media companies like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube to establish local offices. This move is part of broader efforts to regulate social media use and combat misinformation.
“So I believe that we need, if we want to maintain our free speech, we must understand that it is not absolute, it must also […] come with accountability (measures) wherein we cannot just use our influence to destroy the reputation of a person by saying falsehoods,” Adiong explained.
“We will refile these bills, including the measures that were tackled by the quad (committee), these will be refiled by the quad members for the 20th Congress,” he added.
Support Grows for Legal Actions Against Misinformation
Tarriela has garnered backing from various lawmakers following his decision to sue Sasot. Former senator and current Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima expressed support, recalling her own experience with years of online attacks and misinformation.
Meanwhile, Sasot and other social media personalities supporting former president Rodrigo Duterte face criticism for allegedly spreading false information.
During tri-committee hearings, several bloggers and vloggers were confronted about social media posts accused of being untrue.
Beyond Tarriela’s case, Senator Risa Hontiveros has also filed cyberlibel complaints over a viral video accusing her of coercing testimony related to the Dutertes and Apollo Quiboloy. She filed charges before the National Bureau of Investigation against Michael Maurillo, the video’s creator, and Pagtanggol Valiente, the channel that uploaded it.
Hontiveros’ complaint also calls for investigation into other vloggers accused of spreading disinformation against her, including Krizette Chu, Jay Sonza, Sass Sasot, former Presidential Communications Office head Trixie Cruz-Angeles, and Banat By, among others.
For more news and updates on cases filed against bloggers, visit Filipinokami.com.