MANILA, Philippines (Updated 5:06 p.m.) — The 12th hearing of the House of Representatives on bills to renew the franchise of ABS-CBN Corp.— off the air for two months now — started with lawmakers decrying "cyber bullying" and requesting sobriety from parties involved in the controversial issue.
House Senior Deputy Majority Leader Jesus Crispin Remulla (Cavite) said he has asked the help of the National Bureau of Investigation in looking into what he claims are “troll farms” created to “cyber bully” him and other lawmakers who have been holding the hearings.
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During Monday’s session of the House of Representatives committees’ hearing on ABS-CBN franchise renewal bills, Remulla said he went to the NBI “to complain about the cyber bullying being done to my person and other members of the House.”
This was after he said he experienced “being the subject of many organized attacks on social media” in the past days. “Apparently some people employed troll farms to get our organization and most of us have experienced about how these trolls are operating now,” he added
“I thought this wise because we are doing our jobs for our country, not for personal reasons,” Remulla added.
'Cyber bullying'
The NBI's Cybercrime Division is currently looking into spread of "false information" regarding COVID-19 in social media and the proliferation of duplicate accounts on Facebook.
Cyber bullying under Republic Act 10627 is defined as bullying done through technology. Bullying, under the same law, meanwhile refers to:
any severe or repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression, or a physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at another student that has the effect of actually causing or placing the latter in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or damage to his property; creating a hostile environment at school for the other student; infringing on the rights of the other student at school; or materially and substantially disrupting the education process or the orderly operation o a school.
Remulla last week was caught on video jotting down notes while the Lupang Hinirang, the Philippine national anthem, was being played, a violation of Section 38 of the Flag and Herald Code that states that when the National Anthem is played, “the attending public shall sing the national anthem.”
Remulla has apologized for the incident, but not before dragging “ABS-CBN people” whom he accused of “playing up” the issue on social media.
In the 1994 case Yabut vs Office of the Ombudsman, the Supreme Court "seconded" a statement from the Solicitor General that read: “A public official, more especially an elected one, should not be onion skinned. Strict personal discipline is expected of an occupant of a public office because a public official is a property of the public. He is looked upon to set the example how public officials should correctly conduct themselves even in the face of extreme provocation.”
FROM INTERAKSYON: Solon reminded of law after he was caught on cam taking notes during national anthem
‘Sobriety’ in hearings
Prior to Remulla’s statement, Rep. Claudine Bautista (Dumper PTDA party-list) also asked for sobriety among parties.
“Some have sought to characterize these proceedings as a show of force by certain individuals against ABS-CBN instead of an exercise of our legislative functions,” she said.
Bautista said the members of the Committees on Legislative Franchise and Good Government and Public Accountability are not merely putting up a “show,” but are exercising their duty.
This is already the 12th session of the two panels on ABS-CBN franchise bills. They spent at least three hours-long hearings to discuss the nationality of ABS-CBN Gabby Lopez, who is a dual citizen. Issues raised against the network has also been rehashed during the hearing.
“Hindi po ito tinatrato na parang laro-laro lamang o isang show. Para sabihin na ganito ang ginagawa ng kamara ngayon ay napakalaking insult sa bawat miyembro ng kongreso na andito ngayon,” Bautista also said.
(We are not treating it like a game or a show. To say that this is what the Congress is doing is a big insult to every member of the Congress present today.)
RELATED: Marcoleta labels ABS-CBN reporter 'un-Filipino' for basing story on public records
— Kristine Joy Patag