Lambino, Cardema in hot water over Duterte fake news

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against two allies of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Atty. Raul Lambino and Ronald Cardema, of the Duterte Youth, were charged for violating Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, or unlawful use of means of publication and unlawful utterances.

Lambino had claimed during the arrest of Duterte on 11 March that the Supreme Court had issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) to block the arrest of his ally.

However, the Supreme Court did not issue a TRO in response to the habeas corpus petition filed by Duterte’s children. Instead, the high tribunal directed the Office of the Solicitor General to file an answer to the petition.

When Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra declined to represent the government officials named as respondents in the petition, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla intervened and submitted the DOJ’s answer on their behalf.

NBI Agent Allen Ray Delfin of the NBI Technical Intelligence Service said that Lambino’s dissemination of incorrect information had serious implications on law enforcement.

National Youth Commissioner Chair Ronald Cardema is facing a similar complaint for spreading the same statement during a media interview.

On 2 April, the Supreme Court issued a show cause order against Lambino, directing him to explain why he should not be sanctioned for spreading false information.

The Supreme Court noted that the utterance significantly affected public perception of the court’s actions on the matter.