MANILA – A House Tri-Committee hearing on online disinformation turned fiery as Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. confronted vlogger Pebbles Cunanan over a profanity-laced social media post criticizing him.

Abante took offense at being called a “gago” (fool) online, accusing Cunanan of disrespect and inappropriate language in public discourse. “Gusto mo ba umiyak ako sa harapan mo?” he asked angrily. Cunanan defended the remark as a non-personal observation about his performance as a public official.

Their exchange quickly escalated into a broader debate on free speech and online decorum. Abante called for legislation against the use of profanities in public dialogue, while Cunanan argued that criticism—even harsh ones—is part of a healthy democratic discourse. She acknowledged the limits of speech, such as libel, but stood by her right to express frustration.

Abante also criticized Cunanan for not addressing China’s activities in the West Philippine Sea, accusing her of selective criticism. Cunanan replied that the issue was beyond her expertise.

The hearing is part of a broader investigation into online disinformation, which has already cited several pro-Duterte figures—such as Lorraine Badoy and Sass Rogando Sasot—for contempt over their refusal to appear.

In a separate issue, Cunanan implicated former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in the alleged viral spread of a controversial video involving President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The so-called “polvoron video,” which surfaced online on July 22, 2024, allegedly shows a man appearing to inhale an unidentified substance. However, both Philippine government agencies and independent fact-checkers have since confirmed that the video is digitally manipulated and classified it as a deepfake.

Roque strongly denied the allegation, calling the investigation a “political witch hunt.”

“Wala si Maharlika sa Vancouver, Canada, at hindi roon unang lumabas ang polvoron video,” Roque retorted, dismissing Cunanan’s testimony as mere speculation.

“Iba ang opinyon sa katotohanan. Walang saysay ang affidavit. The affidavit does not mean anything,” Roque added.

Roque also criticized the committee for relying on the testimony of a vlogger. “Akala ko ba fake news peddlers ang vloggers? Kailan pa naging forensic expert si Ms. Pebbles? Everything is just a show. The TriComm has a ready script, complete with a powerpoint presentation, featuring the photo of the photo in the dinner, video and screenshots,” he said.

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