Following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to combat fake news, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Jay Ruiz emphasized the urgency of addressing the growing threat of online disinformation.
During a House tri-committee hearing on Thursday, Ruiz underscored the importance of exploring regulatory measures for social media, citing the need to protect the country’s democratic institutions and uphold national security.
The PCO secretary noted the need for legislation that would define ‘fake news’ and establish appropriate penalties, expressing concern over the widespread circulation of misleading content on social media, particularly during election periods.”
“Papaano kung ang tao bine-base niya ang mga desisyon niya sa mga fake news o kasinungalingan? Isipin mo kung ang mga botante natin boboto sa impormasyon na kasinungalingan, anong klaseng democracy ang meron tayo?” Ruiz said.
“If you do not stop fake news, eventually our people will no longer decide based on informed decisions but based on lies,” he warned, pointing out that some candidates in the May 12 elections have blamed the fake news campaign against them for their loss.
“We agree that there is a right to information but that right should be for accurate information,” said Ruiz.
The PCO chief noted that even the government faces challenges in navigating online platforms, citing a case in which Meta declined a request to remove a fabricated memorandum—allegedly from the Office of Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin—circulating on Facebook and Instagram.
Ruiz shared that Meta declined the joint request of the PCO and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to take down the clearly fabricated memorandum, citing its policies on freedom of expression.
“Are we at the mercy of the platforms?” Ruiz said, adding that the company is not even based in the Philippines and not paying taxes.
“With the absence of a law for defining what fake news is, (for) setting penalties… wala tayong panghahawakan,” Ruiz added, pointing out that Singapore and some countries in Europe already have laws that penalize the proliferation of fake news.
For now, victims of malicious disinformation can only avail of remedies under the Anti-Cybercrime Law, according to Ruiz.
At present, Ruiz noted that individuals affected by malicious disinformation have limited recourse and may only seek remedies under the provisions of the Anti-Cybercrime Law.
Ruiz said the PCO and the DICT are exploring the possibility of entering into a memorandum of agreement with social media platforms to strengthen collaboration on fact-checking efforts. | PND
