House prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said the prosecution panel will coordinate with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to identify the individuals behind fake quote cards and disinformation targeting Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s impeachment trial.
“We will coordinate with the CICC on the matter to look further into the personalities behind itong mga ganitong fake news,” Ridon said.
The issue arose after a fabricated statement falsely attributed to Duterte defense counsel and spokesperson Michael Poa circulated on social media. The post claimed to be Poa’s response to Ridon regarding the defense team’s conduct during the trial.
Poa publicly disowned the fake quote, emphasizing that he has maintained a respectful and professional stance toward the prosecution despite being on opposing sides of the case. He urged social media pages spreading the statement to correct or take down the posts.
Ridon thanked Poa for quickly setting the record straight.
“He has my friendship and he has my respect on the matter,” Ridon said, clarifying that his concern lies entirely with those who created and spread the misinformation. “But ‘yung wala akong respeto, ‘yung pong mga actually nag-unleash ng fake quote po ni Atty. Poa, and I think it is something that we will look further into on who these personalities are.”
Ridon pointed to a social media page named “Central Luzon Media” as the alleged source of the fabricated graphic, which was subsequently amplified by Duterte supporters. He added that the same page had previously circulated fake quote cards targeting members of the House prosecution panel.
Ridon warned that restricting public access to legitimate information about the impeachment proceedings creates an information vacuum that bad actors can exploit. He noted that the prosecution, the defense and the Senate impeachment court all serve as vital sources of accurate information, allowing the public to properly follow the trial without being misled by fabricated statements.