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A ranking congressman hopes that more social media platforms would follow Meta's lead of supporting the House of Representatives' plan to establish a regulatory body to curb the spread of fake news online.

“Kung ang Meta ay handang makipagtulungan, dapat masundan ito ng iba. Hindi natin ito malalabanan nang kanya-kanya (If Meta is willing to collaborate, others should follow suit. We cannot fight this battle alone)," House Deputy Majority Leader La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V said.

"Dito nasusubok kung sino talaga ang kakampi ng katotohanan at bilang mga mambabatas, responsibilidad naming itaguyod ang totoo—lalo na sa panahong nilalason ito (This is where we see who truly stands for the truth, and as lawmakers, it is our responsibility to uphold it—especially in times when it is being poisoned)," Ortega said. 

The Ilocano gave these remarks following the House tri-committee's (tri-comm) latest hearing Tuesday, April 8 on the issue of online disinformation and fake news. 

During the hearing, Dr. Rafael Frankel, Meta’s director of public policy for Southeast Asia, said the platform was “more than happy” to work with Congress on initiatives that would help protect users while respecting free expression.

He added that Meta--the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp--has worked with governments across Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific to develop localized regulatory approaches, balancing safety and expression. 

House Deputy Majority Leader La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V (Dexter Barro II/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Ortega stressed that disinformation is not only a technological issue but also a threat to democracy. 

“Kapag hindi na alam ng mga tao kung ano ang totoo, doon nagsisimulang gumuho ang tiwala sa pamahalaan, sa batas, at sa isa’t isa. Ang laban sa fake news ay hindi lang laban sa kasinungalingan. Laban ito para protektahan ang katotohanan at ang tiwala ng mamamayan.”

(When people no longer know what is true, that is when trust in the government, the law, and each other begins to crumble. The fight against fake news is not just a fight against lies. It is a fight to protect the truth and the trust of the citizens.)

Noli de Castro (Facebook)

'Huwag na tayo maging ipokrito'--De Castro

During Tuedsay's hearing, veteran broadcaster and former vice president Noli de Castro said Meta carried “great responsibility” on the issue of fake news, since it was the main platform that enabled disinformation.

“Naniniwala ho ako na ang Meta ay malaki ang responsibilidad dahil sila ang [may] means para maipakalat ‘yun eh, wala namang iba. Kung Facebook halimbawa, Facebook lang ang magpapakalat niyan. Wala nang iba,” he said.

(I believe that Meta bears great responsibility because they have the means to spread that, and nobody else. When I t comes to Facebook, only Facebook can facilitate its spread. Nobody else.)

The ex-vice president recounted being a frequent target of fake news, including fabricated quote cards and a 2021 hoax that falsely reported his death.

"Negosyo ho ito eh... Huwag na tayo maging ipokrito ho dito. Pati ang Meta, alam naman nila yun, negosyo ho nila yun (This is a business...Let’s not be hypocrites here. Even Meta, they know this, it's their business)," he added.

De Castro said he was also one with the House of Representatives in the fight against fake news. 

"Sinusuportahan ko po itong initiative ninyo na labanan ang mga fake news. Kasama rin diyan ang misinformation at disinformation. Kasama rin po dito ang deepfake, naging biktima din ho ako niyan kasama ng ibang broadcaster. Kasama rin ang gen AI (Artificial Intelligence) at ibang technology, hindi na natin mapipigilan yan," he said. 

(I support your initiative to fight fake news. This includes misinformation and disinformation. This also includes deepfakes, me and my fellow broadcasters have been vicitmized by this. This also includes gen AI and other forms of technology, we can no longer stop it.)