MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s government, who was once upon a time benefitted from fake news, now wants to assign “fake news” officers in state media to fight disinformation and misinformation in state media, the Presidential Communications Office said.
“A fact check officer or anti-fake news officer will help us that we cannot be an instrument or a purveyor of fake news,” newly-appointed Secretary Cesar Chavez said.
The response came after ACT-Teachers Rep. France Castro asked the newly-appointed PCO secretary Chavez during the budget hearing about his plans to fight fake news within the state media.
Chavez said that he will issue a memorandum circular addressed to all state media saying all of them will have a designated fact-checker. Among them include PTV-4, the Philippine Information Agency, Radyo Pilipinas-Bureau of Broadcast Services, the Philippine News Agency, the IBC-13, and the PCO Proper.
Asked when he will issue the memorandum, he said “in the next few days.”
Prior to this, Marcos had already called for help from the media to help in “empowering” the people to “distinguish the truth from fiction, and facts from blatant lies.”
To recall, Marcos received the most favorable disinformation narratives during the May 2022 elections that helped secure his presidency. In a report from the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, it said that Marcos “followed” the disinformation model of former chief executive Rodrigo Duterte.
“As in Duterte’s bid for the presidency, a savvy campaign using online political disinformation has been credited for Marcos’ electoral triumph in May 2022,” it said.
During the budget hearing, Chavez also reassured Castro that “red-tagging” has no place under the Marcos administration.
“Madam Chair, two things. One there is no policy in this government, there is no practice in this government … this government, this Marcos administration government…on ‘red-tagging,’” he said.
Data from London-based human rights group Amnesty International revealed that “red-tagging” in the Philippines continues under the Marcos government.
“Red-tagging has continued under the Marcos administration, despite repeated calls from UN member states to end it during a review of the Philippines’ human rights record in November 2022,” Amnesty International said.
