Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Eight of the 11 subpoenaed vloggers, including former press secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, columnist Mary Jane Quiambao-Reyes, and writer Krizette Laureta-Chu, attended the third hearing on fake news by the House Tri-Committee at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on Friday, March 21, 2025. The inquiry, led by lawmakers from the Committees on Public Information, Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, and Information and Communications Technology, seeks to address the spread of disinformation and its impact on public discourse, particularly in the lead-up to the 2025 elections. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Adrian Ayalin

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176301244540720250321fake-news-tri-comm-hearing-MT6.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Eight of the 11 subpoenaed vloggers, including former press secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, columnist Mary Jane Quiambao-Reyes, and writer Krizette Laureta-Chu, attended the third hearing on fake news by the House Tri-Committee at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on Friday, March 21, 2025. The inquiry, led by lawmakers from the Committees on Public Information, Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, and Information and Communications Technology, seeks to address the spread of disinformation and its impact on public discourse, particularly in the lead-up to the 2025 elections. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p>MANILA — The Supreme Court en banc dismissed the petition for certiorari and prohibition filed by vloggers who were invited early this year to attend the hearings of the House of Representatives Tri-Committee on the rampant posting of false and malicious content on social media platforms.</p><p>In the decision of the en banc promulgated on July 8, 2025, the court stressed that Congress or any of its committees must acquire critical information to facilitate the enactment of policies to combat deceptive content which undermine transactions, communications and individual identities.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/22/4-more-vloggers-face-nbi-raps-for-spreading-fake-news-1353">4 more vloggers face NBI raps for &#x27;spreading fake news&#x27;</a></div><p>“Certainly, the legislative branch cannot be expected to remain idle in light of such a substantial threat, particularly when they are expressly mandated to formulate measures to counteract the same,” the court said in the decision penned by Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier.</p><p>Petitioners Rose Beatrix Cruz-Angeles, Ernesto Abines, Jr., Glenn Chong, Mark Anthony Lopez, Mary Jean Reyes, Dr. Richard Mata, Mary Catherine Binag, Ethel Garcia (Garcia), Krizette Laureta-Chu, Jonathan Morales, Lorraine Marie Badoy-Partosa, Aeron Peña, Nelson Guzmanos, Elizabeth Joie Cruz, Suzanne Batalla, Kester John Tan and George Ahmed Paglinawan received an invitation to attend the hearing of the House on February 5, 2025.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/19/vloggers-risk-detention-if-they-continue-snubbing-house-probe-1207">Vloggers risk detention if they continue snubbing House probe on disinformation</a></div><p>The petitioners prayed for the issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order or TRO and prevent the House from further threatening their exercise of freedom of speech, of expression and of the press.</p><p>In the response filed by then-House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Rep. Robert Ace Barbers through the Office of the Solicitor General, it said the statements of Rep. Barbers do not constitute threats nor restrictions against the freedom of expression.</p><p>In the ruling of the court, there was no actual controversy because the conduct of the inquiries is within the Constitutional power of Congress and in accordance with its rules.</p><p>“The dangers of the proliferation of false information and narratives are not difficult to imagine, and the need to address this issue most promptly is truly imperative,” the court said.</p><p>The court noted that Barbers, in his privilege speech, did not name any specific individual whom he characterized as “trolls” and “malicious vloggers”.</p><p>The court said the vloggers merely interpreted that the invitation created a chilling effect on their rights to speech and expression.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/17/house-tricomm-to-resume-hearing-on-disinformation-on-feb-18-1919">House Tricomm to resume hearing on disinformation on Feb.18</a></div><p>“In this regard, the Court ought to refrain from entertaining their unsubstantiated  apprehensions,” the court said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2IY76XgEECM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XE2rNAtTH6U?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Supreme Court said the vloggers merely interpreted that the invitation created a chilling effect on their rights to speech and expression.</p>

The Supreme Court said the vloggers merely interpreted that the invitation created a chilling effect on their rights to speech and expression.

SC junks vloggers' plea, says House hearings don't violate right to free speech

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SC junks vloggers' plea, says House hearings don't violate right to free speech

Adrian Ayalin,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 13, 2025 01:46 PM PHT

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Supreme Court

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