The government’s newly signed agreement to fight fake news signals a more aggressive and coordinated response to disinformation. But as three powerful agencies join forces, who ensures that the fight for truth does not go too far?
Malacañang recently announced that the Presidential Communications Office, Department of Justice, and Department of Information and Communications Technology have entered into a memorandum of agreement to strengthen efforts against fake news, including AI-generated deepfakes.
The move adopts what officials describe as a “whole-of-government approach,” combining communication, enforcement, and technology.
PCO Secretary Dave Gomez pointed out that the information landscape is evolving, with truth now “increasingly vulnerable to distortion and manipulation.” Justice Secretary Frederick Vida went further, calling digital falsehoods “potent weapons” against national stability.
Yet the structure of the response deserves closer scrutiny.
Under the agreement, the PCO leads public messaging and media literacy campaigns. The DICT works with technology platforms and strengthens reporting systems. The DOJ evaluates cases and prepares prosecutions, even coordinating with international partners. An inter-agency committee will oversee the entire effort and issue annual reports.
What a concentration of power.
When the same government that defines falsehoods also investigates and prosecutes them, the need for transparency becomes critical. Officials have stressed that the initiative is not meant to suppress free expression.
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has long argued that disinformation must be addressed, but with clear safeguards. Oversight, he has said, is essential in any system that exercises broad authority.
The same principle applies here. Without strong checks, even well-intentioned efforts risk overreach.
Fake news thrives in environments where trust is weak. The government now walks a narrow path. It must prove that it can act decisively without undermining the very freedoms it seeks to protect.
In the fight against disinformation, credibility is the most valuable asset. And credibility, once lost, is far harder to restore than any false post removed online.###