Alarmed by the rapid spread of disinformation and digital deception, senatorial candidates from Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas on Friday vowed to push for stronger legislation and better enforcement mechanisms to combat fake news, deep fakes, and online misinformation.
During a press conference, former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said he is ready to refile a bill to penalize not just fake news but all forms of digital falsehoods.
“Kasama sa Top 10 ko ’yan—anti-fake news law at anti-fake content. If we make it back to the Senate, it’s one of the first bills I will file and penalties for those who produce those fake news,” Sotto said.
Reelectionist Senator Francis “Tol” Tolentino, who was recently targeted by false reports, recounted how he was wrongly accused of involvement in a shooting incident.
“Alam niyo naman na biktima din ako nung first week of March. ‘Di umano namaril daw ako, pero nag-apologize naman ’yung isang news organization sa live TV,” Tolentino said.
“I support any initiative that would ferret out the truth, exercise responsible journalism, without diminishing freedom of expression and of the press,” he added.
ACT-CIS Representative and former Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo stressed that fake news affects not just public officials but everyday citizens.
“Hindi lang po gobyerno ang biktima niyan. Every individual nagiging biktima,” Tulfo said.
He cited daily complaints received by his Action Center from private citizens falsely accused on social media.
“Kailangan ho tayo may batas doon pati ’yung mga nagshe-share na ’yan, sasabit din. Karamihan ho niyan, hindi gobyerno—individual person ho ang tatamaan,” he pointed out.
Tulfo also called on the public to take responsibility: “Kapag alam mong fake, huwag mong i-share. Dapat may mabigat na parusa sa nagpapakalat ng fake content.”
Makati City Mayor Abby Binay underscored the need for stronger enforcement alongside legislation.
“Kaya matapang ’yung mga gumagawa ng fake news kasi iniisip nila, ‘di naman ako mahuhuli,’” she said.
“Enforcement is key. Kailangan makahuli tayo, maka-sample tayo para mapakita natin sa lahat ng tao na we mean business,” she added.
According to former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, cybercrime has overtaken theft as the most reported crime in the country.
He cited an incident where a years-old robbery video circulated online as if it were new, prompting police to clarify the matter through official channels.
Abalos then called for greater investment in digital capability at the local level.
“Ibaba hanggang sa bawat city, bawat munisipyo ’yung technological expertise. Dapat magkaroon ng non-uniformed personnel na i-train at i-update sa technology,” Abalos said.
“Our laws must catch up with the speed of technology. It should be a continued development program na pwedeng pondohan nang husto,” he added.