Rowegie Abanto

Director of the Quezon City Police Department Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III confirms on January 27, 2023 the arrest of the individual responsible for the social media account that delivered the bomb threat to Ponciano High School in Quezon City the previous day. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATED)</strong> — House leaders on Sunday lauded the chief of the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) for taking action against a Cebu-based vlogger who posted a photo on social media showing him in a hospital bed and asking if it was true he was sick.</p><p>Police Gen. Nicolas Torre III has filed a cyber libel complaint against vlogger Jun Abines — a vocal supporter of the Duterte family — for allegedly spreading misinformation. Torre also sought a search warrant from the court, which <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/22/search-warrant-served-vs-vlogger-who-claimed-torre-was-hospitalized-1809">led to the seizure of Abines&#x27; gadgets</a> late Saturday.</p><p>Press freedom and freedom of expression advocates have repeatedly called for <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/12/13/22/hontiveros-seeks-decriminalization-of-libel">libel and cyber libel to be decriminalized</a>, saying it is outdated, undemocratic, and can be used to silence criticism and dissent.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/18/lawmaker-mulls-requiring-social-media-platforms-to-secure-congress-franchise-1653">Lawmaker floats Congress franchise for social media platforms</a></div><p>&quot;In today&#x27;s digital age, truth matters more than ever. We commend the CIDG chief for his commitment to upholding facts and holding accountable those who deliberately mislead the public,&quot; said Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega, and Zambales Rep. Jay Khonghun.</p><p>Abines is among the vloggers and influencers that House committees invited to hearings on &quot;fake news&quot;. He did not attend the probe and <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/4/house-issues-show-cause-orders-vs-vloggers-who-skipped-fake-news-probe-1200">instead filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition at the Supreme Court.</a></p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/19/certiorari-prohibition-mandamus-a-look-at-petitions-and-what-they-ask-courts-to-do-2137">Certiorari, Prohibition, Mandamus? A look at petitions and what they ask courts to do</a></div><div><strong>&#x27;FAKE NEWS&#x27; A SERIOUS THREAT</strong></div><p>Adiong, Ortega, and Khonghun are members of the &quot;Young Guns&quot;, a group of younger lawmakers in the majority bloc of the House of Representatives.</p><p>&quot;Fake news is a serious threat to our society. It misleads people, distorts public discourse and even puts lives at risk,&quot; they said.</p><p>&quot;Those who spread false information should be held responsible for the damage they cause, whether to private individuals, public servants or the Filipino people as a whole.&quot;</p><p>Abines, in a social media post, said police had seized his gadgets.</p><p>He added he has nothing to hide from authorities, and alleged that the CIDG and the national police were “spying” on his accounts.</p><p>&quot;I advised all friends to delete me from all Group Chats to protect our personal conversation from prying eyes with malicious motives,” he said.</p><p>Torre last week also <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/17/pnp-cidg-chief-files-complaints-vs-duterte-over-kill-senators-remark-2347">filed complaints of inciting to sedition and unlawful utterances</a> against former President Rodrigo Duterte over his statement to &quot;kill&quot; 15 senators to make way for the senatorial candidates he is endorsing. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/18/hepe-ng-cidg-dumepensa-sa-pagsasampa-ng-reklamo-vs-duterte-2032">&#x27;Trabaho ko ito&#x27;: Hepe ng CIDG dumepensa sa pagsasampa ng reklamo vs Duterte</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/17/pnp-cidg-chief-files-complaints-vs-duterte-over-kill-senators-remark-2347">PNP-CIDG chief files complaints vs. Duterte over &#x27;kill senators&#x27; remark</a></div><p>To recall, Torre led the grueling two-week police operation from late August to September 2024 against detained senatorial candidate Apollo Quiboloy, which eventually led to his surrender. </p><p>Quiboloy, a close associate of the Dutertes, is facing sexual abuse and human trafficking allegations, which he has denied</p><div><a href="http://Pagkilos vs. impeachment trial ni Sara Duterte isinasagawa sa Cebu">Pagkilos vs. impeachment trial ni Sara Duterte isinasagawa sa Cebu</a></div><div><strong>LAWMAKERS CALL FOR PENALTIES FOR SPREADING DISINFORMATION</strong></div><p>The House leaders also said that disinformation sows confusion and weakens trust in democratic institutions, stressing that &quot;justice is served through legal means and due process, not through violence or extrajudicial actions.&quot;</p><p>They reiterated their support for laws that impose penalties on individuals and organizations that deliberately spread falsehoods, urging the public to be more discerning about the information they consume and share online.</p><p>Academics and press freedom groups however warned that passing laws that penalize fake news could be weaponized against activists and journalists and may impinge on free speech.</p><p>They said campaign on media literacy and teaching audiences to be more critical of information they consume would be a more humane approach.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/10/05/17/is-new-law-against-fake-news-necessary-experts-weigh-in">Is new law against fake news necessary? Experts weigh in</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/13/atom-araullo-wins-civil-lawsuit-vs-badoy-celiz-1921">Atom Araullo&#x27;s civil suit win vs Badoy, Celiz &#x27;opens option for victims of red-tagging&#x27;</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/><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/YjZQzDvuCZE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong></div>

<p>Press freedom and freedom of expression advocates have repeatedly called for libel and cyber libel to be decriminalized, saying it is outdated, undemocratic, and can be used to silence criticism and dissent.</p>

Press freedom and freedom of expression advocates have repeatedly called for libel and cyber libel to be decriminalized, saying it is outdated, undemocratic, and can be used to silence criticism and dissent.

House leaders praise CIDG chief for suing vlogger accused of spreading 'fake news'

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House leaders praise CIDG chief for suing vlogger accused of spreading 'fake news'

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Published Feb 23, 2025 11:52 AM PHT

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Updated Feb 23, 2025 12:34 PM PHT

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