00:00The House's Trilateral Committee consisting of the Public Order, Basic Education and Culture
00:05and Quad Committees gathered earlier today to take on issues of fake news, the controversial
00:11comprehensive sexuality education which has drawn the ire and resentment of the President
00:16and lawmakers among others.
00:18And the Quad Com Chair weighed in on the President's clemency decision on ex-Iloilo City Mayor's
00:24plea and the DOJ's dismissal of charges on the Deng Vaksha accused.
00:28Spencer Melales-Mores lays out in this report.
00:34As the House Tri-Committee's initial deliberation on combating fake news began, House Committee
00:39on Public Order and Safety Chair Dan Fernandez emphasized the need to penalize trolls and
00:44those who spread false information on social media.
00:48The lawmakers said, while they recognize everyone's freedom of expression, this right has its
00:53limits, especially when lies and malicious information are deliberately and excessively
00:58being spread online.
01:00House Committee on Dangerous Drugs Chair Robert A. Barbers agrees.
01:04One, we want to have a code of conduct for our social media platform users.
01:13Second, we want to have discipline in the responsible use of these platforms.
01:20I think we have to criminalize, because there are bills that were sent to us criminalizing
01:26these troll farms.
01:28And I think it is just right.
01:30Next week, the public hearing on the matter is expected to begin.
01:34Meanwhile, for its part, the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture also scrutinized
01:39the issue regarding the Department of Education's Comprehensive Sexuality Education, or CSE,
01:45program.
01:46Some lawmakers oppose the teaching of CSE in basic education schools, although DepEd
01:50explained that CSE falls under the scope of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive
01:55Health Act of 2012, or the RH Law.
01:58What we are saying about CSE, first of all, that whole term, there is no CSE Act.
02:05If we look at reproductive health, it talks about reproductive health.
02:09It is unconstitutional because first of all, the Congress should be informed before they
02:16make such an order number 31.
02:19I told Secretary Angara to rescind the order because to us, it is unconstitutional.
02:26It shouldn't be.
02:28On other matters, the House Squad Committee welcomed President Ferdinand R. Marquez Jr.'s
02:34decision to grant executive clemency to former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog on his plea
02:39seeking assistance from the President, but was limited only to his administrative cases.
02:44It is a welcome development because we were able to help the decision.
02:54Maybe we were able to influence the decision to grant executive clemency to our President.
03:02Meanwhile, House Deputy Majority Leader Janet Garin, who is also a former Secretary of the
03:07Department of Health, welcomed the decision of the Department of Justice to dismiss the
03:11complaints filed against her and other personalities regarding the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine.
03:17We are really thankful because justice was served for the real experts, real scientists,
03:24and they no longer politicize health.
03:28Melanes Moras from the National TV Network for a New and Better Philippines.
