ITINULAK ng isang mambabatas na pag-aralan ang pag-disbar kay dating dating Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles na hindi sumipot sa pagdinig ng House tri-committee kaugnay sa paglaganap ng fake news at disinformation sa social media.

Sa joint hearing ng House committees on public order and safety, information and communications technology, at public information, inihain ni Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen “Caraps” S. Paduano ang isang mosyon upang pag-aralan ng legal department ng Kamara de Representantes ang posibilidad ng pagsasampa ng kasong disbarment laban kay Cruz-Angeles.

Ito ay matapos kwestyunin ni Cruz-Angeles ang pagdinig ng komite sa kabila ng pagiging isang abogado.

“[I] ask the legal department for a possible disbarment case against Attorney Trixie Angeles,” ani Paduano na humirit din na maglabas ng show cause order laban sa abogada.

“Mr. Chairman, I have two motions. First motion is to issue a show cause order to Attorney Trixie Angeles. That is my first motion,” ayon kay Paduano. “My second motion is for the legal department of this House to study if ever there is a relation because [s]he is an officer of the court and [s]he should respect the constitutional duty of Congress and question of legality. Mr. Chairman, I respectfully move that we will consult the legal department of this House for a possible disbarment case against Attorney Trixie Angeles.”

Ayon kay Sta. Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, ikinatwiran ni Cruz-Angeles ang hindi pagdalo dahil sa umano’y paglabag ng pagdinig sa probisyon ng Konstitusyon tungkol sa kalayaan sa pagpapahayag.

“I respectfully decline this invitation as I question the legality of the inquiry as well as the proposed legislation for being violative of the constitutional guarantee of free speech,” ayon kay Cruz-Angeles sa liham na binasa ni Fernandez sa pagdinig ng tri-comm.

Inaprubahan ang mosyon ni Paduano, na sinegundahan ni Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante.