MANILA (May 25) — Even before the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte formally begins, House prosecutors say they are already fighting a parallel battle — one aimed not at the Senate chamber, but at the country’s fragmented and increasingly weaponized online information space.
Lawmakers leading the impeachment case warned Saturday that disinformation campaigns, propaganda networks, and coordinated digital attacks could distort public understanding of the proceedings and erode trust in the constitutional process itself.
House impeachment spokesman Zia Alonto Adiong said the prosecution panel fully expects an escalation of fake news once the Senate convenes as an impeachment court, tentatively on July 6.
“We will really engage in any platform that we can actually use in order to reach a wider audience to combat fake news,” Adiong said during a news forum.
His remarks underscored growing concern among lawmakers that the impeachment proceedings may ultimately be shaped as much by viral narratives and online influence operations as by evidence presented during trial.
For House prosecutors, the challenge is no longer confined to proving allegations against Duterte inside the impeachment court. It is also about preserving public faith in the process amid an environment where political disinformation spreads faster than official proceedings themselves.
Adiong argued that defending the integrity of the impeachment trial should not be left solely to prosecutors or senators acting as judges, but should become a “whole-of-nation” effort involving ordinary Filipinos willing to challenge manipulated narratives online.
“If we are actually in favor of making sure that our Constitution is alive and well, all of us should also help in preserving the sanctity of the impeachment court,” he said.
The prosecution panel plans to conduct regular briefings and aggressively use digital platforms to counter misleading claims and explain developments in the case.
But the impeachment battle is already unfolding alongside a broader political war between the Marcos and Duterte camps — one increasingly fought through social media, rumor networks, and competing attempts to shape public perception.
House Deputy Speaker Jay Khonghun accused Duterte allies of steering public attention away from the impeachment allegations by amplifying fears over alleged Charter change plots and possible election postponement.
Khonghun specifically criticized Senator Imee Marcos for claims that there are efforts to amend the Constitution to extend the terms of incumbent officials, cancel the 2028 elections, or alter presidential eligibility rules to prevent Duterte from seeking higher office.
“People’s fear of a term extension is being used to destroy trust in government and derail the conversation away from the evidence,” Khonghun said.
The exchange revealed how the looming impeachment trial has evolved beyond a legal confrontation into a high-stakes struggle over narrative control — one where political survival may depend not only on votes inside the Senate, but also on who dominates the public conversation outside it.
As the trial approaches, the fight over facts, credibility, and public trust is already well underway.
