Mocked on Twitter, Bong Go says he is for freedom of expression

Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go on Friday found himself trending on Twitter, after a college student was subpoenaed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for allegedly sharing an online post critical of him.

#T***inaMoBongGo topped Twitter’s trending list as netizens slammed the neophyte senator for allegedly being overly sensitive, with some even ridiculing him through memes.

Go did not release any statement addressing the hashtag and the memes. Instead, he clarified that he is not against freedom of expression.

"Patuloy po nating ipaglalaban ang karapatan ng mga tao na malayang ihayag ang kanilang sariling opinyon. Hindi po bawal maging kritikal sa gobyerno," Go said.

"Nais ko klaruhin na ang bawal, ayon sa batas, ay ang magpakalat ng fake news at manira ng kapwa tao gamit ang kasinungalingan," he added.

The former special assistant to President Rodrigo Duterte said it is well within the mandate of the NBI to "verify, investigate, and issue subpoenas to authors of alleged malicious posts."

Go issued the statement a day after the NBI Cybercrime Division invited a student who allegedly shared an online post criticizing Go.

Go said his camp previously wrote letters to the NBI requesting them to conduct an investigation on certain social media posts that may fall under possible violations of cybercrime laws.

"Hindi ko na alam kung sino at anong post 'yung tinutukoy na 'college student' na ibinalita ng isang media reporter. Kung nag-subpoena ang NBI sa kanila, sagutin na lang nila dahil may proseso naman na magpoprotekta sa kanilang mga karapatan," he said.

Trillanes

Go, meanwhile, reacted to former Senator Trillanes IV's accusation that he "bullied" the college student.

"Malakas makapang-bully ng estudyante itong Bong Go na ‘to. Siguraduhin mo lang na di iikot ang mundo, kundi may kalalagyan ka. Tatandaan mo, dokumentado 'yung sabit mo sa frigate scam," Trillanes said on Twitter.

Hewas referring to the alleged involvement of Go in the supposedly anomalous acquisition of two frigates for the Philippine Navy.

"Bagyong Trillanes! Isa kang hari ng fake news, manloloko na walang ginawa kundi manira ng kapwa, at alam naman natin na ikaw ang totoong Bikoy," Go responded in a statement.

"Mismong Senado na kinabibilangan mo noon ang nagsabing wala akong kinalaman sa anomalyang sinasabi mo at pawang kasinungalingan at fake news lang 'yang mga paratang mo," he added. —KBK, GMA News