THE Presidential Communications Office (PCO) is looking into the possible creation of a regulatory body to monitor and evaluate social media contents as part of government efforts to combat fake news, misinformation and disinformation.
Communications ad interim Secretary Jay Ruiz, in an interview, likened the regulatory body to the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), which evaluates movies and television programs before and while being exhibited in public.
“Pinag-aaralan po natin ‘yan na sana magkaroon kahit papaano. Lalo na doon sa mabibigat na isyu na hindi katotoohanan. as I said, a lie told a thousand times drowns out the truth (We are studying the possible creation of a social media regulatory body, especially for sensitive issues that are not true. As I said, a lie told a thousand times drowns out the truth),” Ruiz said.
President Marcos Jr. on Sunday called on the public to be wary of fake news, disinformation and misinformation that some candidates might use as the campaign season goes into full gear ahead of the national and local elections on May 12.
Ruiz said the planned creation of the regulatory body reflects the seriousness of the Marcos administration’s campaign to address the problem of fake news, especially on issues that threaten national security.
“Ang punto lang dito, kailangan kung blogger ka man, social media influencer ka man, tanggap mo rin dapat na may responsibilidad — a greater responsibility to the public (The point here is, if you’re a vlogger, a social media influencer, you should accept your responsibility to the public),” he said.
In a separate briefing, Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Palace plan is not intended to curtail anyone’s freedom of speech but make vloggers and social media influencers more responsible about the content that they put out.
Castro also said the plan aims to stop the spread of fake news, disinformation and misinformation, stressing that correct and accurate information would not be prevented from being uploaded, posted or shared.
“Hindi po natin pipigilan iyong mga opinyon na naaayon naman po sa batas. Kumbaga, opinyon na lehitimo. Kung ito man ay kritisismo, iyan po ay dapat lang na irespeto (We will not stop opinions that are complies with the law, which means, legitimate opinions. And if these are criticisms, they will be respected),” she said.
“Pero iba po kasi iyong sinasabi natin na paninira ng walang basehan at kung ginagamit man po itong mga troll army sa paninira, ibang usapin po iyon (But baseless accusations are different, and if a troll army is using this to vilify others, that’s a different discussion),” she added.
Ruiz said the PCO legal team is likewise looking into the filing of cases against those who would be proven to be spreading fake news, especially those that could harm the people and compromise national security.
He said examples of these are those publicly announcing suspension of work or bomb threats, among others.
He stressed that the bottom line is for the public to be accountable and take responsibility for their actions or what they say or post online.
CYBERCRIME LAW
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday said the Department of Justice (DOJ) is looking at proposing amendments to Republic Act 10175, or the Cybercrime Law of 2012, to fight the proliferation of fake news and disinformation.
Remulla said fake news, disinformation and misinformation are also a big concern of the DOJ and must not be tolerated.
“It is actually a great disservice to the country, making people believe in something that is false. I think that is a sin against our country. So we have been studying ways to combat fake news,” Remulla told reporters.
“We are looking at the cyber libel laws and other cyber laws if there is a need to amend it, we would recommend to amend,” he said.
Asked if the DOJ is setting a timeline on the filing of cases against those who perpetrate and proliferate fake news, Remulla said it is a case to cases basis.
“For every news morsel, there should be a study to look at how fake it is, and how we can prove it is fake news and what actual penalties can be imposed on this action,” he said.
“Everybody who dabbles in fake news has to be investigated and charged,” he also said.
Remulla said the DOJ has an agreement with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to fight fake news.
“We have a memorandum with Comelec on this matter. We are waiting for the cases to be filed against those who violated the law, especially our cybercrime laws,” he said.
MESSENGERS, NOT SALESMEN
Castro rebuked slammed former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque over his statement that working in the PCO is akin to being a salesman for the President and the administration.
Roque, who served as spokesman during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, said it is difficult to promote a product if it is “bad” or “flawed.”
Castro stressed PCO staff are not salesmen but messengers of the government to the people who are tasked to inform the public about government initiatives.
“Hindi po kami nagbebenta ng pangulo o ng gobyerno. Pinapakita lamang po namin at inilalahad namin kung ano ang maaaring makuha ng taumbayan sa ating gobyerno, kung anong pwedeng itulong ng ating gobyerno sa taumbayan (We don’t sell the president or the government. We just present to the people what they can gain from the government and what help the government can provide),” she said. – With Ashzel Hachero
