House of Representatives Spokesperson Princess Abante set the tone of how she would handle her new position Tuesday, May 27, as she vowed "not to inflame" but at the same time call out lies and fake news whenever necessary.
In a statement shorty after she announced her assumption of her newfangled post, Abante bared that she intended to help steer the House’s broader conversation with the Filipino public.
“We are here to inform, not to inflame," said the lawyer.
"Pero kung kailangan pong punahin ang mga mali, kung kailangang itama ang kumakalat na fake news para i-discredit ang Kamara o mga miyembro nito, makakaasa po kayo na gagawin namin ito.
(But if there is a need to call out mistakes, if it is necessary to correct the fake news spreading to discredit the House or its members, you can be assured that we will do so.)
"The public deserves no less than the truth,” added the daughter of outgoing Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr.
Spokesperson Abante said that this mandate includes not only issuing statements but building genuine public understanding.
“Our work does not end with passing laws. It continues with how we explain those laws to the people who are meant to benefit from them,” she said.
“The House cannot afford to be silent while lies travel faster than truth. We will speak with clarity, we will speak with purpose and we will speak without hesitation,” underscored Abante, who described her new role as both a privilege and a challenge.
“We are entering a time when public trust is no longer given. It must be earned daily, through facts and through honesty. That is what this role demands and that is what I intend to uphold,” she said.