Vloggers Mary Jane Quiambao Reyes (left) and Krizette Laureta Chu (Facebook)

Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. said it's not enough for certain pro-Duterte vloggers to say "sorry"--they must also stop spreading lies.

Abante was the solon who managed to draw apologies from certain vloggers who labelled the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the drug war a "hoax", and claimed that there was a "mass resignation" of police as a result of former president Rodrigo Duterte's recent arrest.

According to Abante, committing to tell the truth is a concrete step to undoing the damage that they have caused.

“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 in a statement Monday, March 24.

The legislator issued the statement following the latest hearing of the House tri-committee, where an online content creator admitted she had no evidence to support her claims that the EJKs under the Duterte administration were fabricated. During the said hearing, she cited her right to tell “my truth", prompting a sharp rebuke from Abante.

While he didn't name her in his statement, Abante was referring to Mary Jane Quiambao Reyes, one of the resource persons during the hearing. 

Abante also made references to another vlogger in Krizette Laureta Chu, who also attended the tri-comm hearing Friday, March 21 as a resource person.

“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. 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,” Abante said.

Abante, who serves as chairperson of the House Committee on Human Rights, reminded social media influencers and content creators that "freedom of speech does not mean freedom from accountability".

"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 said.

"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,” pointed out Abante, a pastor-preacher.

The veteran lawmaker said the vloggers must now take steps to correct the falsehoods they helped spread.

“If they are truly sorry, they should use their platforms now to correct the misconceptions they promoted. Say what is true. Describe what really happened. Acknowledge the pain of the victims' families,” said Abante. 

“We’re not just talking about social media posts. We’re talking about narratives that erase the suffering of victims, distort history, and protect impunity,” he further said.