Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

House quad-committee (quad-comm) overall chairman Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers has had enough of vloggers who attack the panel by posting outright lies on social media.

It is for these reasons that Barbers has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to identify, investigate, and file charges against the reportedly illegal drugs and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO)-funded vloggers for spreading lies, as well as malicious and libelous content. 

In a letter dated Nov. 25, 2024, Barbers told NBI Chief Jaime Santiago that the deliberate disinformation drive by the seemingly organized vloggers not only damages the integrity of public service, but also foster an environment of confusion, distrust and deception of public perception. 

Barbers asked Santiago to help the quad-comm to investigate and determine the identity of the persons or groups responsible for creating and posting such damaging and misleading vlogs; secure and preserve all digital evidence related to the vlog, including metadata, upload details, and related activity logs.

Barbers also submitted to the NBI peices of evidence of several malicious vlogs sourced from various social media platforms, including a derogatory vlog that originated from his province and picked up by Manila-based mercenary vloggers. 

The particular content linked him and his brother, Surigao del Norte Governor Lyndon Barbers to illegal drugs. 

“Very obvious na well-organized at bayaran ang mga vloggers na ito na gustong sirain ang pangalan ko, ng kapatid ko, at mga quad-comm members. Sabi nila, ito yung mga bayarang grupo ng tagapagkalat ng kasinungalingan. Siguro nasasaktan na ang kanilang mga employers na POGO operators at drug lords dahil sa patuloy na quad-comm investigations,” he said.  

(These vloggers who want to destroy my name, ny brother's, and that of the quad-comm members are obviously well-organized and well-paid. These are professional spreaders of lies. Maybe their POGO operator, drug lord-employers are feeling the heat of the continued quad-comm investigations.)

Once the identity of subjects and their respective vlogs have been established, the lawmaker from Surigao del Norte urged Santiago to pursue appropriate criminal charges against the responsible party in accordance with Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. 

“Subject to the appreciation of your good office, these charges may include the crimes of Libel (Art. 353 RPC), Sedition (Art. 139 RPC), Conspiracy to Commit Sedition (Art. 142 of RPC). Incriminating Innocent Person Act (Art. 363 RPC) and Intriguing Against Honor (Art. 364 RPC) – all in relation to Sec. 6 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act,” Barbers wrote to Santiago.

He says he trusts the NBI’s Cybercrime Division’s expertise and commitment in addressing these cyber-related offenses, especially those that aim to disrupt and discredit lawful and transparent public processes. 

With the NBI’s immediate attention and intervention, Barbers says he is confident that justice will be served and the integrity of quad-comm and its members will be protected and upheld. 

The mega-panel was created to investigate, in aid of legislation, the criminal activities of POGOs, illegal drugs, and extra-judicial killings during the previous Duterte administration.