The House of Representatives has frozen the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s budget deliberations, leveraging agency funding to demand direct accountability from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over unaddressed child exploitation, financial scams and violent content on Facebook and Instagram.
During budget interpellations, House members trained their sights on Meta’s structural footprint in the country, highlighting the contrast between its massive Philippine user base and its minimal local corporate accountability.
Rep. Presley De Jesus of the PHILRECA party-list pointed out severe moderation delays during recent violent crises. During an attack at Ateneo de Zamboanga University in August, violent livestream footage remained visible on Facebook for roughly 14 minutes before automated systems reacted, allowing users to reupload more than 1,700 clips across the platform. (Read More: PH Government and Meta Agree on Rapid-Response Pact, Shelving Facebook Ban Threat)
Following the inquiry, House leadership deferred the department’s budget and issued an official call for Zuckerberg to face Philippine lawmakers and tech officials in a dedicated House hearing on social media safety.
In a formal statement, DICT Secretary Henry R. Aguda acknowledged the House’s oversight function, stating the department stands in solidarity with Congress. The agency emphasized that while rival platforms have made progress on user safety, Meta continues to fall short regarding online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, child sexual abuse material, online illegal gambling and cyberbullying.
“Unlike other technology platforms that have demonstrated meaningful cooperation with authorities and concrete progress in safeguarding users, Meta continues to fall short of its responsibility and commitment to youth safety. Accountability cannot be optional.”
DICT Statement
The budget freeze represents the peak of months of friction between Philippine regulators and Meta.
In February 2026, DICT and Meta announced an agreement promising faster removal of child exploitation material, deepfakes and financial fraud. By April, the agency publicly criticized Meta’s defense as insufficient, citing a reliance on broad global policies rather than localized, measurable action.
Earlier this month, the agency formally urged Meta to integrate the Philippine National ID, known as PhilSys, into account verification for Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp to strip away bad-actor anonymity. Meta pushed back, citing operational complexity. (Read More: DICT Urges Meta to Require Philippine National ID for Facebook and Instagram Accounts)
This article is published on BitPinas: Philippine House Defers DICT Budget, Calls Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to House Safety Hearing
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