The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) is investigating the “cheapfakes” on former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. being circulated on social media.
Based on Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Resolution 11064 or the “Guidelines on the Use of Social Media, Artificial Intelligence, and Internet Technology for Digital Election Campaign” promulgated in September 2024, cheapfakes refer “to forms of visual disinformation for which authentic images or videos are re-contextualized to deliberately alter their meaning.”
CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos said that in the original tarpaulins of Abalos who has filed his candidacy for Senator, the text states: “Kalaban ng Kriminal Benhur Abalos.”
However, CICC has monitored on social altered version of the tarpaulin which states: “Kalaban at Kriminal Benhur Abalos.”
Ramos warned that people behind cheapfakes maybe held liable under the COMELEC Resolution 11064.
The resolution states that any individual, shall be considered misuse and malicious use of social media, artificial intelligence technology, and internet technology, and may constitute as an 16 election offense under Section 261 (z) (11) of the Ominibus Election Code, if committed for purposes of propagating disinformation and misinformation to endorse or campaign against a candidate, a political party/coalition, and party-list organizations, and for propagating disinformation or misinformation against the Philippine election system, the COMELEC, and the electoral processes in the Philippines during the election and campaign period.
Punishable under the law include the Creation and dissemination of deepfakes, cheapfakes, and soft fakes for the aforementioned purposes; Use of fake and unregistered social media accounts during the election and campaign period for the same purposes; and the Creation and dissemination of fake news in furtherance of the aforementioned purposes.
Ramos said CICC has been closely collaborating with COMELEC in preparation for the 2025 National Elections.
He appealed to the public to report to the Inter-Agency Response Center (IARC) Hotline 1326 for any deepfakes, cheapfakes or disinformation related to the coming elections.
Issued by the Office of Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos
