More effective online content moderation proposed

(UPDATE) PRESIDENTIAL Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Jay Ruiz on Friday called on Congress to pass laws aligning the country's content moderation on social media with international standards.

Speaking at the House of Representatives Tri-Committee's inquiry into fake news, Ruiz proposed adopting the European Union's Digital Services Act as a model for curbing online disinformation, hate speech and harmful content while protecting free speech.

"What do we want on the PCO side? We urge Congress to join our digital crusade against combating fake news by strengthening our laws by introducing internationally accepted policies and standards for content moderation on social media," Ruiz said.

He said many social media platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, do not have local offices in the Philippines, making content moderation and enforcement slow and ineffective.

"The platforms — Meta, TikTok, YouTube — are foreign platforms. They do not have a base here. When you complain for these posts that we can take down, it takes a long time," Ruiz said. "So, we have to focus on the platforms, first of all, to self-regulate them."

He also proposed that the PCO work closely with the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to address the spread of misinformation.

"If you want self-regulation or maybe come up with an operation system between the PCO, DOJ and the DICT to identify these fake posts. To identify fake information," he said.

Ruiz warned that the unchecked spread of fake news, along with hate speech and even explicit content, is deepening divisions among Filipinos.

"You see what's happening to us? We are being divided online, it's very polarized, and yet it's Filipinos and Filipinos fighting each other. It's not good for the country to see our countrymen being divided by hate speech, by pornography that's very easily accessed by our generation," he said.

Ruiz emphasized that combating fake news should be a national priority, comparing it to previous government efforts against illegal drugs.

He warned that younger generations are particularly vulnerable to online disinformation, since they spend increasing amounts of time in the digital space.

"We now live in two worlds: the cyber world and the real world. The children right now spend more time on the cyber world. And if you give them constant disinformation, if you give them constant lies and negative news, what will happen to the next generation of Filipinos?" he said.

He said neutralizing malicious online content "is the big fight" the nation should be waging.

"I urge everybody here, let's get our act together. We are not the enemies. We should stand together. The enemy is fake news," he said.

At the same hearing, several bloggers who are aligned with former president Rodrigo Duterte have apologized to lawmakers for allegedly spreading disinformation against them.

Newspaper editor Krizette Laureta Chu apologized to Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante for claiming that everyone in government is "tanga" or dumb.

Abante admonished Chu for making the claim without factual basis.

"Kaya tinatanong kita kung saan mo kinuha. Sinabi mo sa news mo lang pala kinuha, eh wala kang documents! (That is why I am asking you where you got it. You said that you got this in the news, but you don't have documents!) You cannot even tell me if you're telling facts or truths!" Abante told Chu, whose Facebook account has more than 200,000 followers.

"Ibig mong sabihin, you're going to base your statement — tanga ang gobyerno — sa news na nabasa mo? (You mean to say you are going to base your statement — that the government is dumb — on the news that you read?)," Abante said.

Chu initially defended her post as an expression of opinion, but eventually apologized to Abante.

"I will apologize, Mr. Chair, for my bad words. I apologize for saying 'tanga' in my post," Chu said.

Chu also clashed with Tingog Partylist Rep. Jude Acidre over her claims that many police officers have resigned following the arrest of former president Duterte.

Acidre asked Chu to name the source of her claims, and she admitted that she based them on unverified posts on TikTok.

"In other words, it was just your impression. In short, it was a rumor, it was a lie which you propagated," Acidre said.

Another pro-Duterte blogger, Mary Jane Quiambao-Reyes, who claimed that extrajudicial killings during Duterte's war on drugs were a hoax, was censured by Abang Lingkod Partylist Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano.

Quiambao admitted that she had no documents to back her claim.

Mark Anthony Lopez also admitted that he spread falsehoods on his posts regarding the South China Sea.

"Sorry po, fake news po ako (I am sorry, I posted fake news)," Lopez told the panel.

Acidre stressed during the hearing that legitimate journalists do not operate on "general impressions" and were duty-bound to verify their information before publishing.

He also said that spreading unverified information, specifically about law enforcement and national security, have "serious consequences,"

"I think we are treading on dangerous ground here because this matter involves national security. There should be legal consequences," Acidre said.

Other pro-Duterte media influencers who attended the hearing were former communications secretary Rose Beatrix "Trixie" Cruz-Angeles, physician Ethel Pineda, Elizabeth Cruz and senatorial candidate Dr. Richard Mata.

Some other bloggers were not able to attend the hearing for the third time, including Alex "Tio Moreno" Distor, Jun Abines, Cathy Binag, Glenn Chong, Elmer Jugalbot, Alven Montero and former broadcaster Jay Sonza.

Sagip Partylist Rep. Rodante Marcoleta also pushed for the inclusion of a blogger only known as "Epifanio Labrador" for hurling expletives at him.

Labrador claimed, in a video released by Marcoleta, that he is a "devil" and is comparable to jailed televangelist Apollo Quiboloy.

"Whatever they say, I will just stay as I am, as transparent and as accountable as I am. There will be a time when these people will be rendered useless and no people will believe them," Marcoleta said.

Among the unverified reports making the rounds on social media is that Duterte had flown to Hong Kong to seek asylum in China before his arrest last March 12.

On Friday, Malacañang said it has no information about Duterte's supposed request.

"We did not receive such information. That's not part of the info that the Palace has been getting," Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said during a press conference.

Asked what kind of information reached the Palace, Castro said it was that Duterte "was already on the way home from Hong Kong — that's it."

Duterte attended a campaign rally for his party's senatorial candidates in Hong Kong. He was arrested by police upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on the strength of a warrant issued by the ICC and coursed through the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

Castro also said the Palace has "no personal knowledge" of who was the "mastermind" behind Duterte's arrest.