Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Aguda confirmed on Friday morning that he has formally written to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to raise the Philippines' growing concerns over misinformation, scams, and unequal content moderation on Facebook.
In an interview on DZRH’s Dos Por Dos, Aguda said that in the letter, he laid out fact-based grievances regarding the platform’s failure to curb the spread of fake news and scams in the country.
“Nagsabi tayo ng mga hinaing natin sa platform nila. Inilatag po natin, fact-based po yun,” he Aguda said.
“Second, ipinagpaliwanag po natin na dito sa pilipinas, may mga batas na po tayong umiiral na pwede nating gamitin sa pagsugpo ng fakenews na baka di lang po niya alam,” he added.
He emphasized that the Philippines has existing laws that can support Meta’s efforts against disinformation but stressed that the platform must fairly and equally apply its own community standards.
“Hinihingi po natin ay hindi special treatment…hinihingi natin sa Facebook ay fair and equal application, yung tinatawag ba nilang community standards. Dapat i-apply din nila dito nang patas,” he stated.
He also criticized the company’s inconsistent enforcement of its rules, noting how journalists have been suspended while fake accounts and trolls continue to spread harmful content.
“May kakilala tayo, journalist tapos sinuspend. Ang nakalagay lang sa kaniya, you violated our community standard. But para sakin, journalist 'to, bakit ito yung masususpend imbes na mga opinyon na mga nakalagay 'dun,” Aguda emphasized.
“Parang hindi patas. Yung mga trolls namamayagpag, yung journalists, nasususpend,” he continued.
Despite raising these issues, Aguda said there has been no response yet from Zuckerberg.
Aguda further called on Meta to establish a corporate presence in the Philippines for better coordination.
“Ang problema po kasi kapag may kinakausap kami, singapore o kaya ireland. Wala dito. Dapat may korporasyon sila dito,” he added.
The DICT secretary also touched on the issue of Meta’s taxes. He argued that platforms profiting from Filipinos should also pay taxes locally.
“Sabi nila, hindi kayo nagbabayad ng tax, sabi kasi nila, “no we do not earn in the philippines. We earn from the Philippines,” he quoted Meta’s statement.
Aguda emphasized that the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is also looking into possible tax loopholes exploited by the platform.
On the possibility of Facebook being banned, Aguda said he hopes it won't come to that but noted that there are local and international alternatives such as Kumu, Twitter, and Google.
He also highlighted the high cost of internet and electricity in the Philippines, adding that the DICT is working with telecommunications companies and Congress to improve connectivity and affordability through measures like the proposed “Konektadong Pinoy” bill.
“Ang utos po sa akin ni presidente, ayusin ang internet at gawing abot kaya. So marami pong ginagawa tayo, yung konektadong pinoy po ay isang magandang bill po yan ng kongreso at ng senado, malapit na po yan,” the DICT secretary said.
He praised platforms like YouTube, Google, and TikTok for better responsiveness in dealing with fake news.
According to Aguda, YouTube uses a delay mechanism to fact-check videos before publishing, something Facebook could easily implement using its advanced AI.
Despite the challenges, Aguda remained optimistic that Zuckerberg will respond positively and take meaningful action.
