By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet

Amid the air of uncertainty surrounding the administration’s ongoing flood control probe, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. vowed to do everything in his power to curb widespread corruption and abuse of authority at the grassroots level.

In his speech at the year-end fellowship held at the Palace late Wednesday, Marcos Jr. noted that the government is on the right track to address these long-standing issues in a bid to restore public trust and confidence in government institutions.

The President told members of the Malacañang Press Corps, “So, we have to go through that pain, anguish that the country is going through now. But we’re Filipinos. We may be bleeding now, but we will also heal very, very soon.”

Marcos Jr. moreover, emphasized that while the timeframe for implementing sweeping reforms remains tight, he remains confident that progress will be achieved amid difficulties in the search for truth, transparency, and accountability.

On fighting misinformation

At the same event, the Chief Executive sought help from the media to forge deeper collaboration with the government in the fight against fake news that has evolved from an online nuisance into a serious threat.

This, as Marcos Jr. cited that the proliferation of misleading content on cyberspace drives a wedge between the citizenry and journalists who deliver credible and factual information.

“Our big problem, and this one, I need your help. I don’t know how to approach it. We have many, many ideas. But what we need to work together on is the fake news.”

In recent times, fake news has grown in frequency and popularity in the country, fueling baseless conspiracies, sensational news, fabricated stories, and narratives that distort reality and sow the seeds of confusion among Filipinos.

He pleaded to media personnel, “The government needs the help of all the media to explain to people that you have to be more discerning about what you read and what you believe. And that is a challenge, I think, for us in the future.”

President Marcos Jr. concluded his remarks by expressing gratitude to the hard work and sacrifices of the media in bringing truth to the masses amid various challenges, expressing optimism that through their efforts, an informed citizenry capable of filtering out online nuisances can bring society together once again.

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