House tri comm vows to unmask fake news peddlers, benefactors

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THE chair of the House committee on public order and safety yesterday vowed to unmask those who are spreading fake news and disinformation against the chairmen and members of the quad committee which has been investigating the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs and criminal activities of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

Sta. Rosa Rep. Dan Fernandez, who is also the overall chair of three House committees which is set to launch a full-blown investigation today, said the tri-panel aims to expose the machinery which he said is funding operations meant to malign and discredit congressmen and other fake news victims.

The newly formed joint panel is composed of the committees on public order, on public information, and on information and communications technology.

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“To those spreading lies, we’re warning you. We’ll make sure that those who are spreading fake news will be held accountable,” Fernandez said in Filipino. 

“We will not allow this system, which deceive our citizens, to continue. It’s time that we unmask the persons spreading lies for their personal interests),” added Fernandez, a co-chair of the quad comm.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chair of the House committee on dangerous drugs and overall quad comm chair, earlier urged the NBI to go after vloggers who have been maligning the chairmen and members of the joint panel.

Barbers, whose privilege speech last month triggered the tri comm inquiry, has submitted to the NBI video evidence of several vlogs sourced from various social media platforms, including one from his province and picked up by those he called Manila-based “mercenary vloggers.” 

Barbers has said the deliberate disinformation drive by the seemingly organized and paid vloggers “not only damages the integrity of public service, but also foster an environment of confusion, distrust and deception of public perception.” 

The vloggers posted online contents which linked the quad comm chair and his brother Surigao del Norte Gov. Lyndon Barbers to illegal drugs. 

Fernandez highlighted the urgency to address the spread of fake news disinformation, citing its “detrimental effects on national unity, public order and democratic processes.” 

“Filipinos have the right to know the truth. We need to protect our citizens from wrong information which causes fear, confusion and divisiveness in our society),” he said.

SOCMED

The briefing will focus on representatives from major social media platforms to shed light on their “policies and accountability measures in combating fake news, cyberbullying and harmful content.” 

The tri comm is expected to look into the effectiveness of these platforms in curbing disinformation and to identify gaps that need to be addressed through legislation to ensure that perpetrators will be held accountable.

The House may push for stronger policies that will ensure social media platforms implement stricter safeguards and penalties against violators.

Among the key issues to be tackled are the transparency of social media platforms in identifying and removing false information, the enforcement of accountability measures against repeat offenders such as irresponsible vloggers and influencers and the broader impact of disinformation on national security, particularly in relation to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) dispute since many vloggers are parroting Chinese propaganda.

Fernandez said the House inquiry will also focus “on the dangers fake news poses to ordinary Filipinos, especially the youth and marginalized sectors who are most vulnerable to cyberbullying and online harassment.” 

The administration lawmaker also called on the public “to remain vigilant and critical of the information they consume online, urging a collective effort to combat the proliferation of fake news.” 

“This fight is not only inside Congress. It’s also the fight of every Filipino who is searching for the truth. Fake news is a poison to our democracy. We’ll not stop until those who are behind this are held accountable and until we ensure that our citizens are protected,” he said.

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