The Palace on Tuesday vowed a crackdown on misinformation online and urged citizens to be discerning about the news they come across on social media.
During a press briefing held in Cagayan de Oro City, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro reiterated the Presidential Communications Office’s (PCO) launch of its Anti-Fake News Desk (AFND), asserting the importance of catching fake news early on and immediately correcting it.
“Kapag maaga namin nakita ang mga kasinungalingan ay amin agad na sinasagot. So unang-una po talaga ang paglaban sa fake news ay hindi yung hindi pinapansin,” Castro said.
“Hindi na po oras ngayon na babaliwalain natin ang mga fake news dahil kapag hindi natin ito nasagot agad, kumakalat siya at iisipin ang mga inosente natin mga kababayan na totoo dahil walang nagre-refute, walang kumakalaban, walang nagpapasinungaling,” she explained, adding that the PCO will be ramping up its efforts against false and misleading information.
The Palace official urged Filipinos to trust news from state and mainstream media, and “responsible” content creators who discuss issues backed by official news sources.
“Pero bago po kayo maniwala sa mga masasabihin, lalong-lalo sa socmed (social media), i-verify, maging mapanuri po kayo, tingnan niyo po kung may pinagbabasihan itong mga nababasa niyo mula sa state media at mainstream media,” she said.
The stakes are high for recognized news outfits, ensuring accuracy and impartiality in their reporting, Castro said.
“Dahil ang mainstream media vine-vet, masinop, mas cautious, mas maingat silang gumawa ng balita dahil alam nila na integridad nila—integridad ng mga journalists, reporters at mismo pangalan ng news network ang maaaring maisusugal dito kung hindi kayo magbabalita ng tama,” she addressed Filipinos.
Speaking to the press on Friday, PCO Acting Secretary Lino Cayetano vowed the Palace will strengthen its AFND by establishing a system with existing partnerships with various media outlets.
“We’ll talk to your desks and try to establish a system kung saan pag naglabas kami ng validated fake news, pwede n’yo rin i-validate at pwede n’yo rin i-publish,” Cayetano had said.
