PCO steps up drive vs fake news

MANILA, Philippines — Communications Secretary Lino Cayetano has vowed to strengthen the government’s campaign against fake news and disinformation through closer cooperation with media organizations.

“We want the help of traditional media, and we want the help of members of the MPC (Malacañang Press Corps),” Cayetano told reporters on Friday when asked about the Presidential Communications Office’s (PCO) fight against misinformation and disinformation.

He said the PCO would establish a system that allows media
organizations to independently verify and publish corrections to false information identified by the government.

“So, we’ll have a system, and I think we’ll strengthen the partnership with the private sector and state media with that,” Cayetano said.

He said legal liability would remain with appropriate agencies such as the Department of Justice and the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

On PCO’s action against disinformation about the super El Niño on social media, Cayetano said the agency’s priority is to disseminate factual information to the public.

In March, the PCO, under Cayetano’s predecessor, Dave Gomez, launched the agency’s “Oplan Fake News” in partnership with major broadsheets, including The STAR, to protect the public from the harmful effects of disinformation.

The PCO has established an anti-fake news desk where citizens can report suspicious content for assessment and possible action by relevant agencies.

“If we think there’s something that we can build on, like we’re doing here, we’re building on the success of the past leadership of my former boss, Sec. Dave,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas personally went to the office of National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag in Quezon City to file formal complaints and submit digital evidence, in a move aimed at shutting down platforms long engaged in producing and spreading fake news.

“Of course, we have always supported the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech. But we cannot, in conscience, allow proliferation of these peddlers of fake news. We have to stand up and let them be held accountable for spreading lies repeatedly,” he said.

“They have abused our social media platforms for continuously spreading lies,” he added.

Vargas issued the warning to operators of malicious accounts and troll networks, emphasizing that he will exhaust all legal remedies to unmask their identities and shut down their operations.

Matibag, for his part, assured the lawmaker of the conduct of thorough investigation to expose the full network of administrators, content creators, and financial backers driving the malicious campaign.

The complaint stems from a coordinated campaign of online disinformation, where Facebook pages posing as legitimate news outlets allegedly circulated fabricated allegations including through Artificial Intelligence-manipulated media to mislead the public.

Vargas presented the NBI Cybercrime Division with forensic evidence, including archived screenshots, URL digital traces, and preliminary identification of individuals and administrators operating behind the flagged pages.

He stressed that filing of criminal charges with the NBI goes beyond defending his personal name and integrity, calling it a crackdown against predatory digital syndicates to protect ordinary citizens.

“This battle is not limited to my interest alone, but for every ordinary citizen who have been victimized by this deceit or fraud. We have to nip this in the bud. They have to know and be reminded that they will always be held accountable under our laws,” Vargas maintained.

The filing comes amid growing calls in Congress for stiffer penalties against organized troll networks and coordinated inauthentic behavior on major social media platforms.

Vargas’ legal team affirmed that additional criminal charges under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and administrative complaints would be filed against identified accomplices as the NBI cybercrime probe unfolds.