Five Alyansa candidates back law, efforts vs. fake news

TRECE MARTIRES, Cavite — Five senatorial candidates of the administration’s Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas are supporting legislation and efforts to combat fake news. 

In a press conference before Alyansa’s campaign sortie, former Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III reiterated that an anti-fake news/content bill will be part of his top ten priority bills should he be elected in the upper chamber in the midterm polls. 

“If we make it back to the Senate, it’s one of the first bills that I will file. Anti-fake news and anti-fake content and penalties for those who produce those fake news,” Sotto said. 

Reelectionist Senator Francis Tolentino, who said he was a victim of fake news, said he “support(s) any initiative that would ferret out the truth, exercise responsible journalism without diminishing freedom of expression and of the press.”

Senatorial candidate and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo called for the passage of a law against fake news and fake content. 

“'There should be a law regarding fake news ang fake content. Hindi lang po gobyerno ang biktima niyan every individual nagiging biktima po niyan… I believe lahat tayo magiging biktima nyan one of these days kapag hindi ho natin ika-nga bantayan yan,” Tulfo said. 

“Dapat isang malala at mabigat na parusa 'yong mga nagpapakalat, pati mga nagpapakalat ng mga fake news at fake content ulit,” he added. 

For Tulfo, the law should also cover those who share the false content, pointing out that it is a responsibility of an individual to “double-check” the veracity of the content. 

“Kailangan ho tayo may batas din doon pati 'yong mga nagse-share-share na yan sasabit din kasi parang kino-condone mo alam mo namang fake... So we have to support this law lahat po tayo pati po ang individual persons kailangang suportahan po ito para matuldukan na po ito hindi na po ika-nga lumawig pa ang problem na ito,” he said. 

For senatorial bet and outgoing Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, fake news or false content cannot only be addressed through legislation, but also by strengthening the capability of law enforcement agencies. 

“I think more than just the legislation ang importante sa atin, sa aming lahat is frustration of catching yung mga tao na gumagawa ng  fake news, fake information… It’s not just the legislation but it's also the enforcement. So siguro kailangan nating pagtibayin ‘yung kapulisan on how they trace these fake content makers and talagang kumbaga hulihin sila,” she pointed out. 

“Kasi kaya…naman matapang ‘yung mga tao na nagkakalat ng fake news dahil sa kanila ‘Di naman ako mahuhuli’ [o] ‘Matagal bago nila ako mahuli’… ‘Madaling ma-deny o hindi madaling i-trace sa akin’ or baka nga ang mas malupit ay baka nga wala pa 'yan sa Pilipinas,” she added. 

Binay noted that law enforcers are not even capable of combatting all scammers.

“Kung ‘yung mga nas-scam nga ng pera, hindi natin mahanap, ano pa yung gumagawa ng fake news. Yung mga taong nawawalan ng pera dahil na-scam sila… hindi pa rin natin mahuli, what more yung gumagawa ng fake news?” She said.

“So ang sa akin, enforcement, makahuli tayo, maka-sample tayo para mapakita natin sa lahat ng tao na, ‘hey we mean business.’ Kailangan tayong umayos, yun yung kailangan natin ipakita,” she added. 

Senatorial bet and former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos echoed Binay’s proposal, citing his experience in managing the Philippine National Police which is under the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

“Right now, what is important, ibaba hanggang sa level ng bawat city, bawat munisipyo yung technological expertise na ito. Ang problema natin ngayon is that yung unit na ito, mga pulis. So, dapat magkaroon ng non-uniformed personnel na i-train nang husto at i-update sa technology,” Abalos said. 

“Talagang dapat pondohan ito para yung response hindi lamang sa Crame, [kundi] hanggang doon sa pinakababa…Sa bilis ng teknolohiya our laws but must catch up with them. I also agree with my colleagues about new legislations regarding this,” he added. —LDF, GMA Integrated News

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