PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. warned against fake news, or disinformation and misinformation especially ahead of the May 2025 national and local elections.
In a vlog posted on his social media account on Sunday, March 2, Marcos urged the public to be mindful particularly of information they see online.
“Kakambal ng kampanya ay intriga at batuhang putik na tinatawag na fake news. Kaliwa’t kanan na rin yan kaya dapat maingat tayong mga mamamayan. Ang sabi nga natin ang bagong Pilipino marurunong kumilatis sa tama at maling impormasyon. Kaya ngayon laganap na naman ang fake news at disinformation, dapat extra ingat sa mga nababasa natin online,” he said.
(Alongside every campaign come controversies and mudslinging, often in the form of fake news. It’s everywhere, so we, as citizens, must be cautious. As we always say, the new generation of Filipinos knows how to discern between true and false information. With fake news and disinformation spreading once again, we must be extra careful about what we read online.)
“Pero hindi rin naman yan mahirap. Isa sa kinatutuwa ko sa mga rally na pinupuntahan namin ay nakikita ko mismo mga sumusuporta sa ating alyansa. Sila ay mga tunay na tao, tunay na Pinoy, hindi lang mga keyboard warrior or troll, mga totoong tao po sila, kinakamayan, nakakausap at nakukumusta… Ang katotohanan, kampanya man o hindi, ang fake news ay laging nandyan,” he added.
(But that’s not so difficult either. One thing that makes me happy during the rallies we attend is seeing our supporters in person. They are real people, real Filipinos -- not just keyboard warriors or trolls. They are genuine individuals we can shake hands with, talk to, and check in on. The truth is, whether it’s campaign season or not, fake news will always be around.)
Marcos was referring to Alyansa Para sa Baging Pilipinas, which includes the administration’s senatorial bets for the upcoming midterm polls.
Newly appointed Presidential Communications Office Ad Interim Secretary Jay Ruiz earlier committed to strengthen its fight against fake news and to boost the dissemination of government projects to the public.
Ruiz mulled the creation of a regulatory body to combat fake news especially on social media.
“A lie told a thousand times trounce out the truth…Siguro panahon na na tayo ay magkaroon ng regulatory, regulation or at least kung di regulation, ipaalam sa mga vloggers, sa social media, na kayo po may responsibilidad sa publiko,” he said.
(A lie told a thousand times can trounce out the truth. Perhaps it’s time for us to have regulations -- or at the very least, raise awareness among vloggers and social media users -- that they have a responsibility to the public.) (TPM/VoxPop Philippines)