Sanctions mulled vs Lambino for spreading 'fake news' on SC's TRO on Digong

Administration lawmakers on Thursday called for the sanction of lawyer Raul Lambino, a senatorial candidate under former president Rodrigo Duterte-chaired PDP-Laban, for falsely claiming that the Supreme Court (SC) has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the arrest of the erstwhile chief executive.

“Well, if it’s a lawyer who spread it, of course he [must be] responsible for that because of the ethics of a lawyer… They must be responsible for every word that comes out of their mouths,” said Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun in Filipino in a briefing.

"In the absence of a TRO, this means that government agencies are not immediately barred from cooperating, especially with Interpol regarding the arrest warrant of the former President. No one can use the law as a shield to avoid responsibility and accountability," he stressed.

During the standoff between authorities and Duterte’s camp a few minutes before the former leader boarded the chartered plane for The Hague, Lambino went live on Facebook airing his frustrations about the arrest of Duterte despite a “granted” TRO by the SC to block his departure to face trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Former president Duterte was arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on early Tuesday upon his return from Hong Kong after the International Criminal Court’s warrant was served through Interpol.

He faces charges of human rights abuses related to his notorious bloody anti-drug campaign, which saw more than 7,000 deaths during his presidency.

Lambino and Atty. Israelito Torreon made the last-ditch attempt to halt Duterte’s arrest by petitioning the high court late Tuesday to immediately issue a TRO against the arrest.

The SC on Wednesday announced that it has not issued an immediate TRO although it clarified that the TRO was “still a possibility.”

Khonghun suggested that Lambino must be held accountable for spearheading misinformation that resulted in public confusion.

“This is a clear case of misinformation. It is clear that this is fake news and we know that fake news has no place in our society. Hopefully, those who spread this fake news will be held accountable,” Khonghun pointed out.

In the same vein, Manila Rep. Ernix Dionisio Jr. lamented that the potential dangers of inaccurate information not only affect the public and the government, but most importantly taint key institutions like the judiciary.

"I hope they were just mistaken; that they really thought there was [a TRO]. But if they intentionally said that to mislead the public, that could promote chaos and is not good for our country," he averred.

“People who peddle, propagate fake news should really be answerable. I hope, let’s all be responsible, no matter which side we are on,” he concluded.