Senate subpoenas Cocoy Dayao to fake news probe

The Senate committee on public information and mass media has summoned the man reportedly behind anti-government blogs to ask him to explain his alleged involvement in the proliferation of fake news in cyberspace, Senator Grace Poe said on Wednesday.

Poe, who chairs the Senate panel that initiated an investigation into the spread of fake news, said Edward Angelo Dayao,also known as Cocoy Dayao should shed light on allegations that he is behind the blog “Silent No More”.

Silent No More called as “Malacañang dogs” the seven senators, who did not sign a resolution condemning so-called extrajudicial killings, especially of children, in the country.

“Well sa ngayon si Dayao pa lang ang may subpoena kasi mukha talagang hindi niya gustong sumipot, yung iba reiteration for invitation and siguro kasi ngayon nakatutok tayo sa budget proceedings so siguro after that,” Poe told reporters after the Senate hearing.

(For now, only Dayao has subpoena because it really seems like he does not want to attend. For the rest, we will just reiterate our invitation. And because we are currently focused on the budget proceedings, so maybe we’ll schedule after that.)

Poe urged Dayao to come out and attend Senate hearing, saying that hiding behind an anonymous blog is a sign of guilt.

“Wala nga siyang pasabi at malaki ang kailangang i-eksplika sa komite na ito dahil ang mga diumanong hawak niyang mga website ay maraming mga sinabi na marahil may kwestyon pagdating sa katotohanan,” she said.

(He had not sent even a word, and he needs to explain a lot to this committee because the websites he handles have posted a lot of questionable truths.)

“Kaya sinasabi ko sa kanya, ‘Mr. Dayao, kung hindi totoo ang mga paratang sayo, magpakita ka dito at i-eksplika mo dahil kung hindi ka nagpapakita at nagtatago ka sa likod ng isang anonymous blog, mas lalong iniisip ng tao na ikaw ay may kasalanan,’” she added.

(That’s why I’m telling him, ‘Mr. Dayao, if the allegations against you are not true, show yourself here and explain your involvement because if you don’t, and if you just hide behind an anonymous blog, people would think that you are guilty.)    /kga