Sasot, Celiz, Badoy cited for contempt for skipping House hearing
Former Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy and Jeffrey Celiz are cited for contempt for failure to show up in House tri-committee hearing. File photo
MANILA, Philippines—Vloggers Sass Rogando Sasot and Jeffrey Celiz, along with former Communications undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, have been cited for contempt by the House of Representatives tri-committee after all three continued to skip the congressional hearing.
During the tri-committee hearing on Tuesday, Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano moved to cite the three for contempt. They failed to show up despite the panels issuing a subpoena ad testificandum and a show-cause order against them.
Sasot and Badoy reasoned that they are outside the country right now.
“May I respectfully move Mr. Chairman that we cite in contempt Ms. Sasot in violation of Section 11, Paragraph a, refusal to answer summons without a legal excuse, so moved,” Paduano said.
Paduano made similar motions for the two social media personalities.
Last March 21, several online vloggers — including former Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles — appeared before the tri-committee, after they skipped the first two hearings.
READ: Vloggers testify during House hearing on social media misinformation
The three—Sasot, Celiz, and Badoy—were among the names mentioned by the tri-committee regarding possible contempt orders if they continue to refuse attendance at the hearing.
The tri-committee has been tasked to probe the spread of disinformation online after several resolutions were filed and different privilege speeches about the matter were delivered.
Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers was one of the lawmakers who delivered a privilege speech, after different fake rumors were spread about him and the other chairpersons of the House’s quad committee.
During that time, the quad committee was probing illegal activities in Philippine offshore gaming operators, the illicit drug trade, and extrajudicial killings in the past administration’s drug war.
