News Roundup 13 October 2022
Oct 13, 2022 • 5 min Read
Fake news persists because ‘people in power feed it’ – Colmenares | INQUIRER.NET – Fake news continues to be a problem because “people in power feed it,” former Rep. Neri Colmenares said in a statement issued on Wednesday. Colmenares, chair of Bayan Muna which he used to represent in the House, agreed with the finding of a recent Pulse Asia survey that almost 86 percent of Filipinos consider fake news to be a problem. Over half of the respondents said that most of the false information about government and politics came from social media influencers, bloggers, and vloggers. “Yes, this is true indeed, especially for us in Bayan Muna who are always the target of fake news and red tagging,” Colmenares said in a mix of English and Filipino. “The findings of Pulse Asia that many people believe that fake news is a problem is indeed a reflection of reality. The problem of fake news is growing because people in power feed it and are continuously feeding it through hired trolls or creating vlogs and posts with dubious content. It is inherent upon real journalists and the public at large who strive for the truth to combat this scourge of the digital age,” he added. Bayan Muna has been a constant fixture in the House of Representatives, winning three seats in the 18th Congress. But it did not get a single seat in the 19th Congress, which the group’s officials attributed to fake news. Just before the May 2022 national elections, then Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan lamented the circulation of a fake resolution claiming that his party-list group and others in the Makabayan bloc had been disqualified. Colmenares, who ran for senator in the 2022 polls, was also rumored to be disqualified. The Commission on Elections clarified that it had not released any resolution disqualifying the groups. Despite the Pulse Asia survey touching on several details, Colmenares found it lacking in some aspects. For example, it did identify those who were targeted by misleading information.
Fight fake news without outlawing it – Nancy Binay | INQUIRER.NET – The government must lead the fight against fake news and close ranks with the media and the academe to restore the public’s trust in the creation and management of reliable information, Sen. Nancy Binay said on Wednesday. Binay said, however, that she opposed any legislation that would outlaw fake news as this would curtail freedom of expression. “The Constitution guarantees free speech, and it would be ironic if we regulate or restrict speech or other expressions only because we differ in opinion or view,” she said. Binay said the government could launch a program or wage a campaign against this “uncontrolled virus” together with the academe and the private sector. “This way, we know which and whom to trust, and somehow put some sense of credibility to the information or news that we receive,” she said. Two bills against fake news have been filed in the Senate in the 19th Congress. Senate Bill No. 547, or the proposed Anti-Fake News Act filed by Sen. Grace Poe, seeks to amend the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees to further promote professionalism in information dissemination among public servants by ensuring that they do not become sources of misinformation. SB 1296 filed by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada seeks to criminalize the creation and dissemination of fake news by amending the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. A similar measure, House Bill No. 2971, was filed at the House of Representatives. Another, HB 862, seeks to penalize all forms of fake or false news with violators facing a fine of not less than P500,000 and imprisonment of not less than 10 years. Among the first to adopt fake news legislation was Malaysia, which passed a fake news law in April 2018. The law, which critics said was aimed at curbing dissent and free speech, was scrapped a year later. In Singapore, the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act took effect in October 2019 but Human Rights Watch said the law and other regulations have been used by authorities to prosecute speech criticizing the government.
TV5’s Ed Lingao, De Veyra get online threats | PHILSTAR.COM – Broadcasters Ed Lingao and Lourd de Veyra of TV5 network have received death threats online, prompting condemnation from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) while the interior chief has urged them to coordinate with authorities. “The CHR remains firm in its stance to defend the free press and calls for the protection of all media workers in the country. We do not and cannot take lightly any threats or any allusions to harm the lives of journalists, regardless if such statements are deliberate or cursory,” the CHR said in a statement. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) meanwhile said police have listed down names of journalists who have sought its help against threats. Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said media workers should come forward and should not be disheartened in reporting any threat to police. Abalos earlier offered P1.5 million for any information that would lead to the arrest of suspects in the slay of broadcaster Percival Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid. He appealed to the public to help identify the suspect as the Philippine National Police (PNP) has released an enhanced digital photo obtained from CCTV footage. The CHR said it received reports that a certain Seth Corteza made threats online against Lingao and De Veyra, saying that the two broadcasters would be the next victims of assassination, following the fatal ambush of Mabasa. The commission said it would reach out to Lingao and De Veyra to offer assistance as well as a “quick response mechanism that will look into the veracity of threats made against them.” “Once again, we stress the undeniable and vital role of the media in helping the Filipino citizenry obtain timely and accurate information imperative to the realizations of their rights. Any attempts to silence the press – particularly by creating a culture of fear and violence – directly impacts democracy and the human rights situation in the country,” the CHR said. It also called on the government to investigate the supposed online threats against Lingao and De Veyra and “take proactive measures to stop media attacks.”
