The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago (Ret.) said he has ordered the Cybercrime Division to conduct a case build-up against vloggers who are spreading fake news on online platforms.
In a media forum, Santiago said the right of freedom of speech and freedom of expression are not excuses to proliferate false information.
“[We can file a case for] cyberlibel, we can also charge them with inciting to sedition because they are already causing confusion,” he said.
As an example, he shared a video clip showing fugitive lawyer Harry Roque calling on the public to gather at EDSA for a People Power-type protest action shortly after the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The NBI is already collecting evidence of the former presidential spokesperson’s seditious statements, Santiago disclosed.
Likewise, he said that US-based vlogger Maharlika can also be held liable since her “fake news” podcasts can also be viewed in the Philippines.
Santiago stressed that social media creators should be aware that their rights are not absolute.
Duterte’s arrest by virtue of a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) has sparked a surge of misinformation online.
One of the most widely shared falsehoods involved US President Donald Trump purportedly expressing support for the detained former Philippine leader.
The claim, spread through two quote cards, suggests that Trump urged the ICC to release Duterte and warned that failure to do so could lead to civil war.
Additionally, it purports that Trump reached out to Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the situation, referring to Duterte as their “good friend.”
A Facebook post from the page of Al Mai Vlog, which falsely attributed the message to The Washington Post, has gained significant traction with 3,300 shares, 167 comments, and 544 reactions.
However, a review of The Washington Post’s official platforms, official US government websites or Trump’s social media accounts confirms that no such report was ever published.
Similarly, First Lady Louise ”Liza” Araneta-Marcos found herself at the crosshairs of purveyors of disinformation, who claimed she was held by law enforcers in the United States.
”There is no truth that FL was held by any law enforcers while in LA or and in any other place,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro told reporters.
Castro said the First Lady arrived in Manila on Monday morning.
She explained that the First Lady had a working visit to the US to participate in the Meeting of the Minds and the Manila International Film Festival. She was in Miami, Florida and Los Angeles, California from March 5 to 8.
Even the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was not spared from fictitious reports as it firmly denied rumors alleging that soldiers are resigning en masse in support of Duterte.
AFP Spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla urged the public to exercise critical discernment and refrain from spreading unverified information.
“The AFP remains a professional, unified, and non-partisan institution committed to its constitutional mandate of defending the nation and serving the Filipino people. Our personnel remain focused on upholding the rule of law and the chain of command,” she told reporters Thursday.
Meanwhile, House leaders want lawyer Raul Lambino sanctioned for falsely claiming that the Supreme Court (SC) had issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) blocking the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
To recall, the opposition senatorial candidate said via live stream that the high tribunal had issued an injunction preventing the government’s cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the tension-filled hours following the ex-president’s arrest.
However, House Assistant Majority Leader Jay Khonghun emphasized that legal professionals have a duty to uphold the truth and should be held accountable for spreading misinformation.
“Well, if a lawyer disseminates it [fake news], of course, he should be held responsible because of legal ethics. They must not spread fake news, they must not tell lies. So they must be held accountable for every word that comes out of their mouths,” Khonghun said in Filipino.
For his part, House Assistant Majority Leader Ernix Dionisio, Jr. highlighted the potential dangers of spreading false information, especially when it misleads the public and tarnishes the image of institutions like the judiciary.
“People who peddle, propagate fake news should really be answerable. I hope, let’s all be responsible no matter which side of the [political] fence [we stand]” he noted.
Dionisio acknowledged that while some might have genuinely misunderstood the situation, others could have intentionally spread false information to create confusion.