Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua remains unfazed by online harassment, having weathered years of relentless bashing from anonymous keyboard warriors.
Speaking at a Quezon City news forum ahead of the tenth day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s Senate impeachment trial, the House prosecution panel member brushed off the harassment.
“Ako, hindi ko na talaga pinapansin ’yan. Basta kami, focus lang kami sa aming trabaho,” Chua said.
Chua noted that he became accustomed to online hostility during the 19th Congress while participating in the House quad-committee and Good Government and Public Accountability hearings, which investigated issues tied to the Duterte family.
“Ako kasi, sanay na ako sa trolls. Mga ilang taon na—’yung mga lumabas noong quad-comm, noong good government—sandamakmak na trolls na,” he remarked.
He emphasized that engaging with online attackers would only distract the prosecution team from its duties in the impeachment court. VP Duterte is facing conviction over the alleged misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds, untruthful asset declarations in her SALNs, unexplained wealth, and alleged death threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
For Chua, public forums serve as a crucial venue to clarify court proceedings and help citizens separate verified trial evidence from online propaganda.
“Kaya nga malaking bagay ’yung mga ganitong forum para at least naliliwanagan at nauunawaan ng ating mga kababayan,” Chua said.
He warned that manipulated media and misleading summaries threaten to strip trial developments of their true context.
“Uso ngayon ang mga trolls, mga spliced videos, mga mali-maling information,” he warned.
To avoid falling victim to misinformation, Chua urged the public to tune in to the official proceedings directly, noting that the court is where evidence, documents, and witnesses undergo formal scrutiny from both the prosecution and defense.
“Kaya nga po, hinihiling ko sa ating mga kababayan, para hindi po sila malilinlang, manood po sila [ng trial],” Chua advised.
“Panoorin po nila ’yung nagaganap na impeachment nang sa ganoon, hindi po sila naliligaw at hindi po sila nalilinlang sa mga lumalabas ngayon sa social media,” he added.