Manila Rep. Benny Abante calls out social media personality and journalist Krizette Chu over her criticism of the government, questioning the facts and sources behind her anger.
MANILA, Philippines — While some social media personalities have already apologized for spreading false information, Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. said this is not enough as they must stop spreading lies.
Abante on Monday said the social media personalities who apologized before the House of Representatives tri-committee probing fake news should use their platforms correctly. At least three resource persons apologized during Friday’s hearing: MJ Quiambao Reyes, Krizette Laureta Chu, and Mark Lopez.
“These apologies are a start, but they are not enough. If these vloggers are truly sincere, they must stop spreading lies and start presenting the truth — not their so-called ‘truth,’ but the real, honest-to-God truth,” Abante said. “If they are truly sorry, they should use their platforms now to correct the misconceptions they promoted. Say what is true.”
READ: Vloggers apologize under intense grilling in ‘fake news’ probe
“When you have a large platform, you also carry a huge responsibility. You cannot just post anything for likes or views and expect to walk away from the consequences,” he added. “They admitted they had no documentation, no solid evidence — and that they were relying on posts online. These were red flags. This tells us that this wasn’t journalism, it was propaganda.”
Disinformation
Last Friday, the tri-committee resumed its probe into misinformation and disinformation on social media.
Reyes apologized to Abante for claiming that extrajudicial killings (EJKs) under the Duterte administration’s drug war were a “hoax,” and that those who criticized former President Rodrigo Duterte were funded by drug cartels, terrorists, and corrupt politicians.
READ: Fake news bloggers, trolls: NBI zeroes in on them
Chu, a journalist who maintains a political blog, was asked by Abante if she was willing to apologize or clarify her claims that many police officers were about to resign after the International Criminal Court (ICC) took custody of Duterte.
Abante’s question came after Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation Detection Group chief Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III clarified that there was no mass resignation among police officers, prompting lawmakers to ask Chu where she got her information.
Chu promised to write about this clarification from the PNP.
READ: Vloggers apologized to lawmakers for spreading false claims
Irresponsible
Lopez, meanwhile, apologized to Deputy Speaker David Suarez and Surigao del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel for claiming that the Philippines also fired water cannons against foreign ships in the West Philippine Sea, supposedly just like China does.
Abante also said claims regarding sensitive issues, like alleged human rights violations, must be based on evidence and facts, as making statements without bases is irresponsible.
“You cannot hide behind the phrase ‘my truth’ when talking about human rights violations. Truth is not subjective. It must be based on facts and evidence,” he said.
READ: Father-faker? Solon hits Duterte over alleged misinformation
“Calling the EJKs a ‘massive hoax’ is not just irresponsible, it is an insult to the victims, to the grieving families, and to the institutions, such as the House and the Commission on Human Rights, that investigated these crimes,” he added.
According to Reyes, her allegations that EJKs are not true were based on the claims of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s supporters, that a woman lied about her son dying during the drug war.
After Reyes cited newspaper reports, Abante’s co-chairperson in the quad committee, Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, asked the vlogger if she had actual copies of the documents instead of merely relying on articles.
In the end, Reyes admitted that she does not have any document proving that EJKs were a hoax.
Probe
The tri-committee has been tasked to probe the spread of disinformation online after several resolutions were filed and 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 following rumors 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 EJks in the Duterte administration’s drug war.
Studies have shown that Filipinos, one of the more prevalent social media and internet users across the globe, are susceptible to misinformation and disinformation.
Just recently, House lawmakers called out fake news spreading on social media after the International Criminal Court took custody of Duterte.
Some Duterte supporters have shared social media posts stating that the Supreme Court received a petition containing 16 million signatures, asking President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to step down from office. The Supreme Court said they have not received any document.