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SOCMED ‘WARRIORS’

February 5, 2025 Jester P. Manalastas 176 views

SURIGAO del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers slammed several social media personalities for refusing to appear before a congressional hearing on the spread of fake news and online disinformation.

Barbers challenged them to bring their bold claims and criticisms to the proper forum.

“Wag po kayong magtago sa mga ganyan, ang tatapang ninyo … in the advent of social media, suddenly Filipinos become political analysts, they become journalists, they become experts. They believe their wisdom. Kayo ang galing ninyong magtuligsa eh. Dito ninyo dalhin,” Barbers said.

House Committee on Public Order and Safety chairman Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez backed Barbers’ stance, saying the refusal of these social media figures to appear only casts more doubt on their credibility and motives.

“Wag po kayong magtago sa mga ganyan, ang tatapang ninyo,” Fernandez remarked.

“Kayo ang galing ninyong magtuligsa eh. Dito ninyo dalhin, para ng sa ganun makagawa tayo ng isang polisiya, na hindi maabuso ito,” Fernandez added.

The House Tri Comm, composed of the House Committees on Public Order and Safety, on Information and Communications Technology and on Public Information, issued show cause orders against former Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) chief Trixie Cruz-Angeles, as well as social media influencers Elizabeth Joie Cruz (Joie De Vivre), Krizette Lauretta Chu, Mark Anthony Lopez, Jun Abines Jr., Dr. Richard Tesoro Mata, Aaron Peña, Suzanne Batalla (IamShanwein) and Ethel Pineda for their refusal to attend the hearing.

Barbers emphasized that the hearing was not meant to curtail free speech but to craft regulations ensuring accountability and ethical use of social media.

He further stressed the need for discipline and ethical responsibility in digital spaces, comparing social media to traditional media platforms that are subject to regulatory standards.

“Dapat po meron tayong disiplina, meron tayong code of conduct, meron tayong ethics sa paggamit nitong social media. Hindi yung pagbukas mo ng social media, magmumura ka,” he said.

The congressman also questioned the reasoning of those who refused to attend, calling out their apparent reluctance to engage in an open discussion.