THE need to institute accountability mechanisms against purveyors of false information in order to uphold and strengthen democracy was tackled by Senator Erwin Tulfo at the 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland.
Tulfo, who heads the Philippine delegation participating in the IPU Assembly and related meetings which will run until October 23, delivered a speech detailing how fake news negatively affects public perception of government and the political atmosphere in the Philippines.
The Philippine delegation to the ongoing IPU conference is composed of Senator Raffy Tulfo, Senator Imee Marcos, Representatives Ferdinand Hernandez, Kristine Singson-Meehan, Ma. Georgina De Venecia, Maria Rachel Arenas, Faustino Michael Carlos Dy III, Brian Poe-Llamanzares, Jonathan Clement Abalos II and Florabel Yatco.
“We, in the Philippines, have seen how fake news and malicious online campaigns can erode public trust, distort democratic discourse, and even incite anger and violence. What begins as a false post or manipulated image can spread faster than facts, and the damage, once done, is often irreversible,” Sen. Erwin said during the meeting among lawmakers from ASEAN countries, Korea, Japan and China held on October 19.
While discussing the ill effects of fake news, he also noted the importance of respecting and protecting freedom of speech in democratic countries.
“Our task, therefore, is not to silence voices, but to safeguard truth; to ensure that the digital public square remains a place for informed dialogue, not deception,” said Sen. Erwin, a veteran journalist turned lawmaker.
“We must work together as parliamentarians to strengthen legal frameworks that hold accountable those who deliberately spread falsehoods, without endangering legitimate expression,” he urged.
Apart from legal measures in combating disinformation and misinformation, Sen. Erwin also advocated investing in media literacy, especially among the youth, so citizens can better discern truth from lies.
“Ultimately, the fight against disinformation is not only about defending our leaders; it is about defending democracy itself,” he concluded.
As a member of the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, Sen. Erwin has been pushing for transparency in government to fight the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation in the Philippines.
Just last July, he filed Senate Bill No. 768, which seeks to penalize the generation and spread of fake news or information deliberately presented as factual content with the intent to mislead or deceive the audience.
Too, he filed Senate Bill No. 1361, or the “People’s Freedom of Information Act”, which would help strengthen accountability in government and combat fake news in the Philippines.
