“You need to see this, the so-called EJK victims under President Duterte, [is] a massive hoax.”
This was the central theme of the House Tri-Committee’s interpellation with Mary Jane (MJ) Quiambao-Reyes, the vlogger who posted the statement on extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.
On Friday, March 21, several vloggers appeared before the House Committees on Public Order and Safety, Information and Communication Technology, and Public Information. In their efforts to intensify the fight against misinformation and disinformation, the Tri-Committee questioned Quiambao-Reyes about her statement, citing the massive hoax remark towards the victims of the extrajudicial killings during the onset of the war on drugs.
When Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante questioned where she got the information, Quiambao-Reyes replied, stating that she based it on recent information that popped up. She claimed that some EJK victims did not die, but are alive.
Opinion or Lie?
“Kita naman po ito sa social media diba po kung saan yung mga napabilang na EJK, yung mga nagpakita ng picture ng mga anak nila na namatay daw sa EJK. at yung iba naman po ay buhay na buhay naman po,” Quiambao-Reyes said.
“That’s why ang sabi ko nga ay hoax dahil yung mga pinakita nung mga nag ra-rally at pinakita nila na namatay sa EJK ay hindi naman po patay,” she added.
Abante then asked the vlogger if she had seen the Quad Committee hearings and the prayer rally initiated by the families of the victims. However, Quiambao-Reyes asserted that her statement online was her reaction and opinion. She also stated that this information came from what she saw on social media.
“Ang hirap non, makakabalita ka ng anuman, tapos you’re going to put the word opinion. And you want to let the people believe it's the truth. ‘Yun ang problema dyan eh,” Abante stressed.
“Facts, sinabi mo: “They want you to believe that every young life lost is in the hands of our people’s president, Rody Duterte.” This is a blatant lie,” he added.
Despite this, Quiambao-Reyes maintained that it was her truth and opinion.
“Again, that is my truth and my opinion. And nakabase naman din po ‘yan sa mga available information ngayon. Makikita nga po natin…na may mga EJK victims nga raw na hindi naman pala [namatay],” Quiambao-Reyes said in defense.
Accompanying Documents
In the middle of the interpellation, Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano asked whether the so-called ‘facts’ were based on official government organization documents or social media accounts.
Quiambao-Reyes stated, “If I’m not mistaken, nasa newspaper na rin po ‘yan.”
However, Paduano highlighted that it did not come from official document findings, specifically from the Human Rights Commission, adding that during the Quad Committee hearings, all the victims’ families invited were confirmed by the commission.
“Ang binabanggit mo, may nabalitaan ka? If you would like to be a resource person here in this Committee, kailangan meron kang basis. Meron kang tunay na basis. Meron kang tunay na komentong masasabi…Ang Commission on Human Rights for example, nag-imbistiga ng EJK at maraming nakita. Kami, in my Committee on Human Rights, marami kaming nakita,” Abante stressed, echoing Paduano's remark.
Meanwhile, Paduano also rebutted the vlogger's statement by citing the data gathered by the Human Rights Commission.
“Ang sinasabi ko madam, baseless ‘yan…unless otherwise, you can have a document under oath that indeed a certain family of victims clarified and dispute[d] that data,” Paduano said in response to Quiambao-Reyes’ claim that some relatives of the victims refuted the data at hand.
Nearing the end of the interpellation, Abante reminded vloggers to have accompanying documents as reference for their statements online.
“I hope that next time, kayong mga vloggers, ay huwag kayong magbibigay ng opinyon lang, o impression ninyo. Ibigay niyo yung katotohanan, [dapat] may dokumento kayo. Sapagkat kami, meron kaming documents to show eh,” he emphasized.
Apart from Quiambao-Reyes, the following vloggers also took their oath before the Tri-Committee:
- Elizabeth Joie Cruz
- Former Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cruz-Angeles
- Krizette Laureta Chu
- Dr. Richard Mata
- Dr. Ethel Pineda Garcia
- Mark Anthony Lopez
- Aeron Peña
