SEN. Joel Villanueva has refiled a proposed measure seeking to penalize “fake news peddlers.”
Under the Anti-Fake News Act, it will be unlawful for any person to maliciously offer, publish, distribute, circulate, and spread false news or information that causes panic, division, chaos, violence, hate or which exhibits or tends to exhibit propaganda to discredit one’s reputation.
Direct violators of the Act will be meted out a fine of P100,000 to P5 million and a prison term of one year to five years.
“Any person who aids or abets any person committing any of the foregoing acts shall be liable for a fine ranging from P50,000 to P3 million and imprisonment ranging from six months to three years,” the bill said.
If the offender is a public official, he or she shall be liable for twice the amount of fine imposed on violators and be imprisoned two times longer as the prison term for violators under the Act.
In addition, the public officials will also be perpetually disqualified from holding any public office.
The bill also said that it is unlawful for any mass media company or social media platform to remove or take down false news or information within a reasonable period after knowing its falsity.
