Cagayan de Oro lawmaker files anti-fake news bill after disinformation-marred polls

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

The proposed law sets prison terms up to 12 years and fines up to P2 million for anyone who 'knowingly and maliciously' spreads false information

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez filed a bill seeking to criminalize the deliberate spread of fake news and disinformation, particularly content intended to destabilize public order or threaten national security, in a move he described as a necessary step to confront a growing threat to democracy. 

Rodriguez’s House Bill No. 11506 proposed prison terms ranging from 6 to 12 years and fines between P500,000 and P2 million for anyone found guilty of “knowingly and maliciously” disseminating false information across print, broadcast, or digital platforms.

“The right to freedom of speech, of expression, and of the press is a pillar of democratic governance,” said Rodriguez, citing jurisprudence about such right not being absolute.

Rodriguez warned that the unchecked spread of online falsehoods, including AI-generated deepfakes and coordinated disinformation campaigns, has emerged as a “serious threat to public trust, democratic institutions, and national stability.”

“These falsehoods, often disseminated at scale through social media or synthetic content, have the power to incite confusion, manipulate public perception, and provoke civil disorder,” he said.

Rodriguez comes from a city where the just-held elections were marred by a wave of technology-driven disinformation — slick, coordinated, and at times indistinguishable from legitimate news reports. The digital smear machines twisted facts as well as mimicked mainstream media, warping headlines and narratives to discredit candidates.

“They took it to another level,” said Representative Lordan Suan of Cagayan de Oro’s 1st District, pointing to how fake news peddlers weaponized social media during the campaign period. He said the disinformation campaign was relentless.

To guard against abuse, Rodriguez also proposed the creation of a joint congressional oversight committee which includes civil society and media representatives to monitor enforcement.

Rodriguez said the proposal acknowledges the need to protect freedom of expression while holding to account those who weaponize falsehoods to sow discord and erode democratic values.

“By striking a balance between protecting freedom of expression and addressing the dangerous consequences of intentional disinformation,” he said, “this measure affirms the values of both liberty and responsibility in a modern, democratic society.”

Rodriguez’s proposed law defines fake news as false or misleading information presented as fact or news, deliberately and maliciously spread to mislead the public. The definition excludes satire, parody, honest mistakes, and good-faith reporting – provisions intended to safeguard legitimate expression.

Under the bill, disinformation is defined as false content intentionally created or shared to deceive, manipulate, or influence public perception or policy. It also outlines cyber-enabled dissemination as the use of internet technologies, such as bots, trolls, or coordinated inauthentic behavior, to spread such content.

Social media platforms covered under the measure include Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and other digital networks. The bill emphasized malicious intent, or the deliberate or reckless disregard for truth, aimed at causing harm, panic, or undermining trust in institutions.

Prohibited acts under the bill include the following:

• Knowingly and maliciously publishing or disseminating fake news or disinformation through any medium;
• Creating, operating, or funding troll farms, bot networks, or coordinated campaigns to spread such content;
• Spreading disinformation that incites violence, promotes hate speech, or discredits democratic institutions;
• Enabling the systematic use of social media platforms to engage in these practices. 

– with reports from Herbie Gomez/Rappler.com