SENATE President Francis Escudero yesterday urged Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to submit the proposed recommendations of the Department of Justice (DOJ) on how to strengthen existing cybercrime laws to stop the spread of fake news, disinformation and misinformation.
Escudero’s call was seconded by Minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III, who underscored the importance of amending the laws amid the rising use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Escudero said Remulla can help Congress in amending Republic Act 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act, and other laws.
“No law is perfect, complete, and timeless,” he said, adding that he will “eagerly await the proposal of the DOJ to amend existing laws to help combat fake news and will let it go through the legislative grind.”
Pimentel noted growing public concerns on the spread of disinformation, especially those used through AI.
“We can invent or come up with a new crime when fake news is spread since I know that a lot of people are worried about this relatively new phenomenon, especially those using AI. I am open to the proposal, of course, we’ll have to weigh the proposed penal measure with the rights to free speech and to information,” Pimentel said.
Remulla on Monday said the DOJ is assessing the cyber libel law and other measures related to it to determine if amendments are necessary to stop the spread of fake news.
Presidential Communications Office head Jay Ruiz said they eyeing the creation of a regulatory body to review and assess social media contents as part of the government’s campaign against fake news, disinformation and misinformation.
President Marcos Jr., in his vlog posted Sunday, has urged the people to be discerning on what they read and listen to on the internet, saying that fake news is most prevalent now amid the campaign season for the May 12 elections.
