The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The government’s chief communicator expressed concern on Friday over the growing division among Filipinos due to online disinformation, misinformation, and fake news.
“What is happening to us right now is we are being polarized, being divided online. Filipinos are being pitted against Filipinos,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Jay Ruiz said during the House Tri-Committee’s (Tri-Comm) hearing on malicious and fake online content.
Ruiz likened the current division in the country to the discord observed in the United States.
He welcomed the Tri-Comm’s inquiry into fake news and suggested that the PCO, Department of Justice (DoJ), and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) work together to curb its spread.
He emphasized the urgency of countering malicious online content, calling it “the big fight” the nation should focus on.
“Lies, repeated a thousand times, becomes the truth. We have to fight lies with truth. The voice of truth should be louder than lies,” he said.
The PCO chief also warned about the dangers of deepfake technology, revealing that some overseas Filipino workers had fallen victim to scams using manipulated videos of celebrities.
He further called for stronger content moderation and regulation of social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. However, he acknowledged the challenge of regulating these platforms since they are not based in the Philippines.