Ex-NTF-ELCAC officials Badoy, Celiz, other vloggers cited in contempt for snubbing House hearings
The House of Representatives Tri-Committee has cited vloggers former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict officials Lorraine Badoy and Jeffrey Celiz, and Sass Rogando Sasot in contempt for their repeated failure to attend the hearing on fake news and disinformation.
Abang Lingkod Partylist Rep. Joseph Paduano filed the motion against the absent social media personalities during the fourth hearing on April 8.
The fourth Tri-Comm hearing was attended by vloggers Krizette Lauretta Chu, Elizabeth Joi Cruz, Atty. Trixie Cruz-Angles, Ethel Pineda Garcia, Manuel Mata, Dr. Richard Tesoro Mata, Elijah San Fernando, Suzanne Batalla, Glen Cho, Maria Florinda Espenila-Duque, Claro Ganac, Alven Montero, Jonathan Morales, Vivenne Zapata Velez, and Darwin Salceda.
Badoy, Celiz, and Sasot were absent for the fourth time.
Paduano said that Sasot presented an excuse letter, which provided a similar justification as her last one, being that she resides in Beijing, China.
Meanwhile, Celiz has left the country, and Badoy is currently in Hong Kong, he said.
Sasot, Badoy, and Celiz have been cited in contempt in violation of 1611 paragraph A of the House's internal rules for refusal to answer summons without legal excuse.
On the other hand, Lopez, who was absent from the fourth hearing, was also cited in contempt for possible violation of maligning and attacking the committee hearing.
After the third hearing on March 21, Lopez wrote in a Facebook post that it was "blatantly obvious" there was a "concerted effort to humiliate and bring down" vloggers.
"I already warned all those resource persons [to] be conscious not to issue statements maligning, attacking the ongoing investigations," Paduano said, adding that such acts violate 1611 paragraph F of the internal rules.
In addition to citing the vloggers in contempt, the Tri-Comm has ordered Celiz, Badoy, Sasot, and Lopez to be detained on the premises of the House until the committee hearing is terminated.
Roque among behind 'polvoron' video, says vlogger
In the hearing, vlogger Pebbles Conanan claimed in a sworn affidavit that Atty. Harry Roque is behind the deepfake "polvoron" video of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. allegedly doing drugs.
Conanan said that she was in Hong Kong for a rally in July 2024. Atty. Harry Roque then invited her for a dinner meeting with other pro-Duterte vloggers and personalities, including Atty. Vic Rodriguez, Atty. Trixie Cruz-Angeles, Badoy, Sasot, and more.
"Late po kasi ako dumating, mga one hour na sila sa restaurant nag-uusap... Pagdating ko po, 'yung topic, about the polvoron video," she said.
In her affidavit, Conanan said that Roque allegedly talked about receiving a screenshot of a video of Marcos using cocaine from a politician's relative. He, however, did not show them the photo but talked about how they would release the said video online.
Conanan was grilled by Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop about why the group also talked about tapping a foreign vlogger to talk about the video.
"Bakit kailangan ng semblance of credibility? Dahil hindi tunay 'yung litrato?" he asked, to which the vlogger said she did not give her opinion about the video's release.
Asked about who was leading the discussions, Conanan said it was Roque.
"Ang exactly na sinabi niya diyan, 'Nagkamali sila. Magaling ako magpabaksak ng gobyerno.' Sa tingin ko hindi po kasi nagtatago po siya ngayon eh," she said.
"Sa palagay ko po, parte po 'yun ("polvoron" video) para pabagsakin ang president."
Roque is currently in the Netherlands where he sought asylum. He will remain in the country while his application is being processed.
The former presidential spokesperson faces an arrest warrant from the House Quad Committee's POGO probe.
In July, a video showing Marcos allegedly doing drugs was spread on social media. The National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police have debunked that the man in the video was not the president.
A former acting Cabinet secretary under the Duterte administration, Atty. Melvin Matibag, filed a disbarment case against Roque over the former presidential spokesperson's social media posts, including posting about the deepfake video.
