Online Safety Commissioner Filipe Batiwale says he has requested that the circumstances surrounding a laughing reaction attributed to the Commission’s official Facebook account be established, after it appeared under a comment about Ba business owner Sevanaia Levuidali falling off a chair.
The reaction appeared under a comment on a video shared by Minister for Fisheries and Forestry Alitia Bainivalu, showing Levuidali falling off a chair while making a submission to the Joint Committee on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 in Ba.
The Online Safety Commission is an independent regulator established under the Online Safety Act 2018 to promote online safety and manage digital harms.
Responding to questions from fijivillage News, Commissioner Batiwale says he has requested that the circumstances surrounding the reaction be established, including how it occured and whether it originated from someone managing the official account.
He says the Commission’s social media platforms are intended to inform, educate and engage with the public on online safety matters, and are not platforms for expressing personal opinions, ridiculing individuals or taking sides in public disagreements.
Batiwale says he expects those entrusted with managing the Commission’s public communications to exercise sound judgement, professionalism and care, regardless of the circumstances.
He adds that where mistakes occur, the Commission must be prepared to acknowledge them, address them appropriately and ensure that lessons are learned.
Batiwale says the Commission is no exception to the standards of responsible online conduct it encourages across Fiji.
Meanwhile, Levuidali says he has lodged a police report against Bainivalu, accusing her of cyberbullying after she shared the video of him falling off a chair during the public consultation on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 in Ba.
Police have confirmed to fijivillage News that Levuidali filed a report against the Minister at the Ba Police Station this morning.
Levuidali questioned why Bainivalu shared the footage on her official facebook page, particularly the section showing him falling off the chair.
The footage was taken from a Fiji Government livestream of the consultation at the Ba Market Bure.
In response, Bainivalu said she did not intend to ridicule Levuidali and that she had been sharing videos of the consultations over the past week, adding that he was not singled out.
She said the video also showed the part of his submission in which he was ridiculing the panel.
Bainivalu said the consultations were public hearings that allowed people to engage in different forms of discussion, and described Levuidali’s fall as unfortunate.
She said the videos were intended to show that the consultations were open to everyone, regardless of whether they sat, stood or spoke while facing away from the panel.
Bainivalu also said people should prepare themselves well before attending the consultations.
