The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday ruled that a congressional inquiry into the spread of fake news online does not violate vloggers’ right to free speech when they are invited as resource persons.
In its decision, the SC En Banc said Congress cannot be barred from inviting resource persons to legislative inquiries simply because the topic involves speech. It emphasized that the legislative department has broad authority to regulate matters for the common good.
The High Tribunal also noted that the House of Representatives acted within its power when it conducted an inquiry into the spread of false or misleading information, which can undermine public trust and threaten social stability.
“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. Allowing the unregulated dissemination of erroneous facts will ultimately degrade trust among the people and threaten the stability and reliability of day-to-day transactions,” the SC said.
It dismissed the petition filed by Ernesto S. Abines Jr. and others seeking to stop the House from requiring them to attend hearings involving their social media posts.
The case stemmed from speeches by former Surigao del Norte Representative Robert Ace S. Barbers, who warned about coordinated online attacks against officials.
Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, in a concurring opinion, said the hearings had a valid legislative purpose even if the case was already moot.
