Duterte-allied PDP-Laban slams Tri-Comm's probe on vloggers, influencers; urges House to focus on other issues
The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) faction allied with former president Rodrigo Duterte has slammed the insistence of the House of Representatives’ Tri-Committee (Tri-Comm) to summon vloggers and other social media influencers perceived to be pro-Duterte to their hearings.
The PDP-Laban faction described this as “a form of harassment and a violation of the right of free speech and expression.”
“As a party that advocates for rights guaranteed and enshrined in the Constitution, PDP-Laban decries any direct or subtle attempt to curtail or derail free speech,” the party said in a statement.
“Now more than ever, this right is critical in demanding accountability for the massive graft and corruption and other abuses and irregularities in government,” it also said.
According to the party, House lawmakers could make the time and resources better spent in improving the lives of the ordinary Filipino which is getting worse every day rather than in useless hearings that are clearly meant to intimidate and harass supporters of the former president.
Moreover, the group said the House of Representatives has failed to protect the constitutional rights of their resource persons particularly during the infamous QuadComm hearings where resource persons are detained if the answers they got was not in line with what they want to hear.
“This type of harassment against ordinary Filipino must stop and the House must focus its time and resources on more pressing problems afflicting the country, like the increase in the prices of basic commodities and the worsening law and order situation,” the party said.
Last Tuesday, the Tri-Comm issued show cause orders to the Philippine offices of Facebook and TikTok after their representatives skipped the second hearing.
Also during the last hearing, the panel has vowed to continue its investigation into the growing threat of disinformation and fake news online.
Senatorial candidates running under the PDP-Laban banner are reelectionist senators Christopher “Bong” Go, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, singer/lawyer Jimmy Bondoc, SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, Vic Rodriguez, actor Philip Salvador, lawyer Raul Lambino, lawyer Jesus “Jayvee” Hinlo and detained Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy.