Hefty jail time and multimillion-peso fines await those who deliberately spread falsehoods under a measure refiled in the House of Representatives seeking to clamp down on the rising tide of online disinformation and fake news.
House Bill (HB) No. 3799, authored by Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and ABAMIN Party-list Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr., proposes penalties of six to twelve years’ imprisonment and fines ranging from P500,000 to P2 million for individuals who are proven to have maliciously and intentionally published or disseminated fake news.
Under the bill aptly titled, “Anti-Fake News and Disinformation Act, the jurisdiction over such cases will lie with the Regional Trial Courts.
The bill defines fake news as “false or misleading information presented as fact or news, deliberately and maliciously disseminated to mislead the public, that may sow confusion, incite hatred or violence, or disrupt public order.”
Disinformation, meanwhile, refers to false information intentionally spread to manipulate or influence public perception, behavior or policy.
In its explanatory note, the authors stressed that “the spread of fake news, particularly through digital platforms and artificial intelligence, has emerged as a serious threat to public trust, democratic institutions, and national stability.”
They added that while freedom of speech is guaranteed under the Constitution, this right “is not absolute,” especially when speech endangers public safety or national security.
Beyond the steep penalties, the bill also introduces aggravating circumstances that could lead to the maximum sentence of 12 years’ imprisonment or P2 million fine.
These include fake news that undermines national security or diplomatic relations, interferes with elections or disaster response, or is committed by public officials, journalists, or influencers with over 50,000 followers who knowingly exploit their platforms.
The measure also levies the maximum penalties to those who employ the automated or coordinated use of digital systems – including bots, trolls or sock puppet networks.
