A House leader on Monday said the vlogger who apologized during a recent House hearing for calling extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the war on drugs a hoax must go beyond words and take concrete steps to undo the damage she caused.
The same should also apply to vloggers, who spread falsehoods about the “mass resignation” of police and lies about the West Philippine Sea.
According to Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. “these apologies are a start, but they are not enough. If these vloggers are truly sincere, they must stop spreading lies and start presenting the truth—not their so-called ‘truth,’ but the real, honest-to God truth.”
The legislator issued the statement following a hearing before the House Tri Comm, where an online content creator admitted she had no evidence to support her claims that the EJKs under the Duterte administration were fabricated.
During the said hearing, she cited her right to tell “my truth,” prompting a sharp rebuke from Abante.
The Tri Comm is composed of the Committees on Public Order and Safety, Information and Communications Technology, and Public Information.
“You cannot hide behind the phrase ‘my truth’ when talking about human rights violations. Truth is not subjective. It must be based on facts and evidence. Calling the EJKs a ‘massive hoax’ is not just irresponsible—it is an insult to the victims, to the grieving families, and to the institutions––such as the House and the Commission on Human Rights––that investigated these crimes,” Abante said.
Abante, who serves as chairperson of the House Committee on Human Rights, reminded influencers and content creators that “freedom of speech does not mean freedom from accountability.”
The solon stressed that “when you have a large platform, you also carry a huge responsibility. You cannot just post anything for likes or views and expect to walk away from the consequences.”
“They admitted they had no documentation, no solid evidence––and that they were relying on posts online. These were red flags. This tells us that this wasn’t journalism, it was propaganda,” lamented Abante.
The veteran lawmaker said the vloggers must now take steps to correct the falsehoods they helped spread.
“If they are truly sorry, they should use their platforms now to correct the misconceptions they promoted. Say what is true. Describe what really happened. Acknowledge the pain of the victims’ families,” said Abante.
“We’re not just talking about social media posts. We’re talking about narratives that erase the suffering of victims, distort history, and protect impunity.”
Abante urged the public to remain vigilant against disinformation, and said that he would remain active in the campaign to purge social media platforms of falsehoods and fake news intended to deceive and manipulate the Filipino people.