The House Tri Committee (Tri Comm) has taken decisive action by issuing subpoenas to several social media influencers and vloggers who did not appear at a recent congressional hearing, despite receiving show cause orders. The committee warned that further non-compliance could result in legal repercussions. Notable absentees included Trixie Cruz-Angeles, Krizette Laureta Chu, Sass Rogando Sasot, and others, who cited a pending Supreme Court petition as their reason for not attending.
Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano spearheaded the subpoena issuance, noting that most of the influencers provided similar excuses for their absence. However, the subpoena for Suzanne Batalla was temporarily suspended after she provided a medical certificate. Paduano stressed that while no one has been cited for contempt yet, the committee is compelled to escalate its measures.
Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop, chairing the Tri Comm hearing, promptly approved the motion to issue subpoenas. Paduano specifically addressed Cruz-Angeles, who had challenged the legitimacy of the inquiry, stating that her show cause order was due to her communications that questioned the committee’s jurisdiction. He reminded her of her duty as a lawyer to uphold the Constitution, which empowers Congress to conduct such inquiries.
Paduano also mentioned that the committee’s legal department is contemplating a disbarment case against Cruz-Angeles for her repeated breaches of legal ethics. He referenced her previous suspensions by the Supreme Court in 2016 and 2023 for neglecting a client’s case and using abusive language in a legal pleading, respectively.
Furthermore, Paduano cited legal precedents to argue that legislative investigations should not be obstructed by ongoing court cases. He moved for the reissuance of unserved show cause orders, directing the sergeant at arms to coordinate with the Philippine National Police for proper service.
In addition to the influencers, the Tri Comm also issued show cause orders to the Philippine offices of Facebook and TikTok for failing to attend a hearing on disinformation. 1RIDER Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez noted that Meta, represented by White and Case, claimed that Facebook Philippines was not authorized to receive the invitation. Despite this, Gutierrez argued that, like Google Philippines, Facebook Philippines should have attended.
Gutierrez also addressed ByteDance’s absence, which cited an unsubstantiated engagement in Singapore. He proposed issuing show cause orders to both ByteDance Philippines and Facebook Philippines, specifying the individuals to whom the orders should be directed.
The Tri Comm, consisting of the Committees on Public Order and Safety, Information and Communications Technology, and Public Information, is intensifying its efforts to combat the spread of disinformation and fake news online. The recent hearing focused on the role of social media platforms in spreading misleading content and exploring potential regulatory measures.