By Brian Campued
“We will not let you get away with a crime. We will go after you and hold you to account.”
This was the stern warning of Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Dave Gomez to fake news peddlers posting fabricated content on social media related to the country’s energy situation.
Gomez personally visited the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday to refer a report about the “Malasakit News Pilipinas” Facebook page, allegedly involved in posting fake news “in a malicious desire to sow public panic and confusion and undermine public welfare and safety.”
The PCO asked the DOJ to conduct a more thorough probe on the matter, identify the individuals behind the Facebook page, and file the appropriate charges in court.
According to Gomez, the PCO Anti-Fake-News Desk flagged three posts made by the said Facebook page involving an “energy lockdown” and fuel shortage as well as an “emergency lockdown” due to an alleged “COVID-19 Cicada variant.”
“All these posts are blatant lies and fabrications that fall under the definition of ‘false news,’ the publication of which is deemed a crime punishable by up to six months imprisonment under Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code. And because it is committed online, the penalty is higher under the Cybercrime Prevention Act,” the PCO chief stated.
He likewise warned netizens against spreading false and fabricated content about energy security, supply, or pricing aimed at misleading the public or sowing confusion.
“[T]he government will exercise zero tolerance for those who maliciously and deliberately spread utter falsehoods and fabricated contents,” Gomez said.
As part of the PCO’s Oplan Kontra Fake News campaign, Gomez stressed that the government is intensifying the monitoring and detection of such content to “uphold the public’s right to true and accurate information.”
The Department of Energy (DOE) likewise clarified that it has not announced an “energy lockdown” in the country, noting that there were even AI-generated videos spreading the said fake news content.
“Hindi ito totoo at hindi nagmula sa DOE. Mag-ingat sa mga link na kasama sa mga post na ito dahil maaari itong magdala sa hindi ligtas na websites,” the department said in a post on its official Facebook account on Tuesday.
The DOE assured the public that it is closely monitoring the energy supply conditions in the country to ensure uninterrupted economic activity. (with reports from RR Tubice and Clay Pardilla / PTV News)
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