Trixie Cruz-Angeles, June 29, 2022. Jonathan Cellona,ABS-CBN News/File 

MANILA — The House Tri Committee on Wednesday said 11 social media personalities and vloggers could face contempt and detention if they continued skipping its probe on disinformation.

Those who may face contempt and detention include former Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Atty. Trixie Cruz-Angeles, former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Lorraine Marie Badoy-Partosa Aeron Peña, and Allan Troy “Sass” Rogando Sasot.

The other social media personalities are Elizabeth Joie Cruz, Dr. Ethel Pineda Garcia, Jeffrey Almendras Celiz, Krizette Laureta Chu, Mark Anthony Lopez, Mary Jean Quiambao Reyes, and Richard Tesoro Mata.

The Tri Committee will resume its investigation into the spread of misinformation and disinformation online on Friday.

During its second hearing in February, the Tri Comm issued subpoenas to the social media personalities and content creators after they once again skipped the probe.

Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano earlier said most of those absent provided "similar justifications" citing their petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court.

Tri Comm overall chairperson Santa Rosa Rep. Dan Fernandez defended the probe, saying: “Disinformation is a national security issue.”

“It erodes public trust, destabilizes institutions, and manipulates democratic discourse. We cannot allow social media to become a free-for-all platform for deception and propaganda,” he said.

Fernandez said the committee has the power to cite individuals in contempt to "uphold the integrity of congressional investigations."

“Congress has the authority to summon individuals to testify on matters of public interest. Ignoring lawful orders is a direct challenge to our institution and the democratic principles we protect,” he said.

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Surigao Del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers reiterated that the inquiry does not intend to suppress freedom of expression or speech. Instead, he said it seeks rules or best practices to govern information dissemination on social media.

"I just would like to reiterate that the objective of the hearings the Tricom is conducting is not to suppress the freedom of expression or the freedom of speech,” he said.

“In fact, we are all aware that this is provided for in our Constitution and we’d like to respect the right of everyone to his own opinion or to his own expression. Contrary to what others may be thinking, this is not in any way a tool to suppress their expressions or opinions on certain issues, whether they may be political or economic or even other points of views,” Barbers added.

In the third hearing set on Friday, officials from the Commission on Elections, Department of Justic, National Telecommunications Commission, the Philippine National Police (PNP), and other government agencies were invited to provide insight into regulatory and enforcement measures against disinformation.

The House panel also issued show cause orders to social media platforms Meta (Facebook) and ByteDance (TikTok) after they skipped the previous hearing, expecting representatives from its Philippine offices to attend, alongside Google Philippines.

Media organizations like the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), Manila Broadcasting Company, PressOne.PH, and VERA Files are expected to present findings on the proliferation of "fake news."

According to the statement, social media figures including Jay Sonza, Vivian Velez, Enzo Recto, and George Ahmed Paglinawan were also summoned to testify.

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