Probe of crisis fake news pushed

THE PRESIDENTIAL Communications Office (PCO) on Monday requested the Department of Justice to investigate and file criminal charges against the administrators of a social media page accused of disseminating fabricated reports regarding the country’s energy situation.

PCO Acting Secretary Dave M. Gomez said that it referred the findings of its internal review to Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick A. Vida, noting that the move initiates the filing of charges to hold accountable those who maliciously seek to sow public panic and confusion, particularly during a period of national energy emergency.

“We are initiating the filing of charges against the persons responsible for the Facebook page ‘Malasakit News Pilipinas’ for posting fake news in a malicious desire to sow public panic and confusion and undermine public welfare and safety,” Mr. Gomez told reporters in an interview.

“We are asking the Department of Justice to investigate at least three ‘fake news’ posts, determine the persons that fabricated them and bring them to court on behalf of the Filipino people to answer for the harm they have caused the public,” he added.

Mr. Gomez said one post alleged a fabricated “energy lockdown” which was allegedly designed as a scam to coerce the public into purchasing solar panels.

Another post claimed a manufactured “fuel shortage,” Mr. Gomez said, which induced panic and prompted citizens to unnecessarily stock up on gasoline, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas. The third post flagged by the PCO was an invented “emergency lockdown” attributed to an imagined “cicada” variant of COVID-19.

Malasakit News Pilipinas did not immediately reply to a Facebook Messenger chat seeking comment.

Government agencies immediately debunked these claims, noting that the posts were timed to exploit existing public anxiety following the declaration of a state of national energy emergency.

Under Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, the publication of false news is a crime punishable by up to six months of imprisonment.

Mr. Gomez added that because these offenses were committed using online platforms, the penalties are expected to be one degree higher under the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

These malicious posts were first identified by the PCO Anti-Fake News Desk, which was established last month as part of a broader initiative in partnership with the country’s major newspaper publishers to combat disinformation.

“We remind users of social media platforms that the government will exercise zero tolerance for those who maliciously and deliberately spread utter falsehoods and fabricated contents,” Mr. Gomez said.

“Any attempt to mislead the public about energy security, supply, or pricing to sow confusion will be treated as a serious offense,” he added.

He said the PCO is now intensifying its monitoring of social media and information ecosystems to detect and counter such disinformation campaigns. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking