News outlets excluded from hearing due to no questions

Rep. Johnny Pimentel of Surigao del Norte responded to Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta’s concerns about media invitations for a recent House hearing. Marcoleta questioned why major news outlets, such as the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Philippine Star, were not invited this time, citing that they attended a previous session but were not asked questions. During a hearing on Friday, Pimentel explained that the media representatives were not invited because they had already attended the last hearing without being questioned. Marcoleta reminded him that lawmakers had committed to inviting the media due to issues of fake news and misinformation. Pimentel clarified that the committee had decided to focus on different resource persons for this hearing. Marcoleta pushed back on this reasoning, asking if it was the committee secretariat's decision or if the chairpersons had authority over such matters. Pimentel insisted that the process allows for different guests to be invited based on the requirements of each hearing. The tri-committee, which includes three House committees, is currently investigating the spread of online disinformation. Lawmakers previously summoned social media personalities to testify, warning that failure to attend might result in contempt charges. This comes as concerns grow over misinformation, including a misleading deepfake video involving President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The tri-committee aims to tackle the increasing issues related to disinformation in the Philippines, where social media usage is extremely high.