Social media personalities want to stop House hearing invitation
MANILA, Philippines – Several social media personalities urged the Supreme Court (SC) to issue a restraining order against the invitation issued by the House of Representatives for a congressional hearing on disinformation and misinformation.
The petitioners are Ernesto Abines Jr., lawyer Glenn Chong, Mark Anthony Lopez, Mary Jean Reyes, Dr. Richard Mata, Mary Catherine Diaz Binag, Ethel Pineda Garcia, Krizette Laureta Chu, Jonathan Morales, Lorraine Marie Badoy-Partosa, lawyer Rose Beatrix Cruz-Angeles, Aeron Pena, Nelson Guzmanos, Elizabeth Joie Cruz, Suzanne Batalla, Kester John Tan, and George Ahmed Paglinawan.
Upon hearing, petitioners urged the Supreme Court to declare the congress’ invitation as grave abuse of discretion and to stop its implementation
They said the invitations were sent after Surigao del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers made a statement in December 2024 that he would take action against online harassment against him and other Quadcomm members.
In some social media posts, Barbers was called a drug lord despite his stand against illegal drugs.
The social media posts came out while the quad committee was then probing illegal activities in Philippine offshore gaming operators, the illicit drug trade, and extrajudicial killings in the past administration’s drug war.
Article continues after this advertisementThe lawmaker expressed the need to establish a regulatory framework for social media use, just like mainstream media organizations and legitimate news outlets adhere to a set of ethical standards.
Article continues after this advertisementBut the petitioners believed that the so-called invitation violated their constitutional right to free speech, freedom of expression and of the press.
“Petitioners implore upon the Supreme Court, to again swiftly act and exercise its constitutional power by striking down the assailed acts of the Respondents as being patent invasions of a constitutionally protected right to free speech, freedom of expression and of the press,” they added.
Named respondents are members of the House Representatives led by Speaker Martin Romualdez, Rep. Robert Ace Barbers and Joint Committee consisting of the Committees on Public Order and Safety, Information and Communications Technology and Public Information represented by Reps. Dan Fernandez, Tobias Tiangco and Jose Aquino.
