House cites blogger for contempt after hitting tri-comm probe
The House of Representatives tri-committee moved to cite blogger Mark Lopez for contempt after he criticized the panel’s investigation into fake news in social media. — Photo by Niño Jesus Orbeta
MANILA, Philippines — The members of the House of Representatives’ tri-committee, which is conducting an inquiry into fake news in social media, cited blogger Mark Lopez for contempt on Tuesday after he spoke against the panel, which the lawmakers deemed a violation of the chamber’s internal rules.
During the tri-committee hearing on Tuesday, Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano read portions of Lopez’s blog entry, made after a hearing on March 21, criticizing the panel for spending time scrutinizing his actions on social media.
According to Paduano, it had been discussed prior to Tuesday’s hearing that maligning and attacking the chamber’s inquiry would lead to disciplinary action.
“During the last hearing, Mr. Chairman, I warned all those resource persons to be cautious, not to issue statements maligning, attacking, the ongoing investigation. And I have a copy of the blog after the hearing, while I personally talked to him and warned him about a possible violation for discussing, maligning, and attacking this committee hearing,” he said.
Paduano moved to cite Lopez in contempt for “undue interference” in the proceedings of the investigation, a motion approved by tri-committee presiding officer Johnny Pimentel, who represents District 2 of Surigao del Sur.
The lawmaker then made a motion to put Lopez under House detention for 10 days.
Earlier, Paduano also moved to cite vloggers Sass Rogando Sasot and Jeffrey Celiz, as well as former communications undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, for contempt as they continued to skip the tri-committee hearing on Tuesday. Sasot and Badoy said they are outside the country right now.
He moved to cite Sasot in contempt for refusing to answer a summons without a legal excuse.
Lopez first found himself in hot water during the previous hearing after Paduano warned him of a possible contempt order after the blogger claimed that Philippine forces also conducted water cannon attacks similar to what China’s vessels did in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
At Friday’s hearing of the House tri-committee, Deputy Speaker David Suarez was asking Philippine Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tarriela if he had been the target of social media attacks due to his defense of the country’s territory.
When Tarriela said one of the bloggers who attacked him was present — Lopez — Suarez asked several questions related to the territorial dispute over the WPS, such as when Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels were being water-cannoned by Chinese Coast Guard ships.
Lopez then said the Philippines does water cannon attacks as well.
READ: Blogger apologizes for claiming PH uses water cannons in WPS
Lopez’s statements prompted Suarez, Pimentel, and Paduano to demand that the blogger clarify his statements.
Paduano said that while it is true that Lopez did not mention anything about water cannon attacks against China, the blogger mentioned something about the Philippines actually doing water cannon attacks — which the lawmaker said were spoken in the context of WPS discussions.
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