By Lane Afable, News Editor
Individuals spreading fake news and engaging in related offenses will be held accountable, as misinformation undermines public trust and poses challenges to the country’s economy, a Palace official said on Tuesday.
“Sa mga gumagawa ng krimen, hindi kayo sasantuhin ng batas. Huhusgahan kayo ng katotohanan. Huwag pagkakitaan ang fake news—katotohanan lang ang inyong ibigay at hindi kayo nakakatulong sa ekonomiya,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Office Claire Castro said during a Palace press briefing.
Castro made the remarks when asked about the Palace’s message regarding the spread of fake news.
“Kapagka nakita na kung ano man ang kinakalat na fake news, ang NBI ay may mandato na ito ay imbestigahan,” the Palace Press Officer added.
The PCO, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) forged a memorandum of agreement (MOA) last month to strengthen coordination against fake news, disinformation, and AI-generated deepfakes.
The agreement, signed by PCO Acting Secretary Dave M. Gomez, DICT Secretary Henry R. Aguda, and Acting DOJ Secretary Frederick A. Vida, establishes a whole-of-government approach to curb false information that threatens public safety, national security, and democratic institutions.
Gomez underscored the urgency of the initiative, saying, “We are confronting a rapidly evolving information landscape where truth is increasingly vulnerable to distortion and manipulation.
