THE House Tri-Committee will file a disbarment case against lawyer and former Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles following her refusal to attend a congressional hearing on the spread of fake news and disinformation on social media this Tuesday.
House Committees on Public Order and Safety, Information and Communications Technology, and Public Information, Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen S. Paduano requested that the House legal department study the possibility of filing a disbarment case against Angeles.
During the joint hearing of the House Committees on Public Order and Safety, Information and Communications Technology, and Public Information, Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen “Caraps” S. Paduano moved to have the House legal department study the possibility of filing a disbarment case against Cruz-Angeles after she questioned the proceedings of the House despite being an officer of the court.
“[I] ask the legal department for a possible disbarment case against Attorney Trixie Angeles,” Paduano said as he demanded an explanation from the lawyer regarding her absence.
“Mr. Chairman, I have two motions. First motion is to issue a show cause order to Attorney Trixie Angeles. That is my first motion,” Paduano stated. “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.”
According to Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, Cruz-Angeles refused to attend the congressional inquiry, citing concerns about its legality and referencing constitutional provisions on freedom of speech.
“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,” Fernandez quoted Cruz-Angeles as saying in her letter to the Tri Comm.
Following this, Paduano’s motion was granted and seconded by Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante.
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