THE Presidential Communications Office (PCO) has ordered its Anti-Fake News Desk to look into the spread of false reports, including claims about Senator Ronald dela Rosa’s arrest, as the government intensified efforts to combat online disinformation.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) debunked social media claims that Dela Rosa had been arrested, stressing that law enforcement authorities continue to pursue him.
“Nakausap natin mismo si Secretary Dave Gomez at ipinag-utos na rin niya sa ating Anti-Fake News Desk na tingnan ang lahat ng nagpapakalat ng mga fake news katulad ng nangyari dito sa diumanong pagpapaaresto kay Senator ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa at titingnan din natin kung ito ba ay malisyoso,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Thursday during a Palace press briefing.
“At atin ding hinihingi ng tulong, hindi lamang sa parte ng gobyerno, kung hindi sa parte na rin ng mainstream media. Inaasahan kayo ng gobyerno na makipagtulungan din, dahil kung alam natin na ang source ay walang kwentang source, siguro hindi natin dapat na… maging sanhi na rin tayo na ito ay makalat. Maraming salamat sa inyong tulong,” Castro added.
Asked about the possible penalties or sanctions against those spreading misinformation, the Palace Press Officer said the matter is still under study, particularly the legal implications of disseminating false information to the public and the charges that may be filed against those responsible.
Castro said the government will continue tracing the source of the false information, adding that authorities are determining whether the identified source initiated the false claim or whether online trolls were primarily responsible for amplifying and spreading it across various platforms.
“Kahapon, nung tinanong ko rin kayo, MPC (Malacañang Press Corps), kung saan nagmula, mayroon kayong ibinigay sa akin na mga ibang impormasyon, pero hindi tayo titigil doon,” said the Palace official. “At tingnan natin, kasi kung sila man ang nagsimula, pero mayroong siyempreng mga troll na nagpakalat nito.”
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