House lawmakers are eyeing to regulate Meta--specifically, requiring them to apply for a franchise--as they frowned the lack of initiative from the company to regulate purveyors of fake news on its social media platforms.

This, as Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez, overall chairman of the House tri-committee (tri-comm) investigating rampant disinformation in the country, said that President Marcos must certify as urgent a bill against fake news.

Fernandez said outgoing lawmakers of the 19th Congress will file before it adjourns sine die a measure regarding it, and hoped that Marcos would demand immediate action.

"Kailangan na dito ng intervention ng presidente na maisabatas 'yun (We need the intervention of the President to pass it into law)," Fernandez said during the tri-comm's fifth and final hearing on fake news in the 19th Congress.

His move, which was backed by other tri-committee members, came after Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Jay Ruiz said that even the government has become the victim of fake news on social media.

And although they had made requests to Meta to take down such misinformation, the company had allegedly refused to do so.

"Hindi nila tinanggal. Ang reason ng mga platforms is that: freedom of expression. May community standards kami (They didn't take it down. Their reason is there is a freedom of expression, and that they have their own community standards)," Ruiz said.

"Ang bawat isang user (Each user is) accountable to his or her account," he added, noting that even his request as the PCO chief had been turned down.

That information did not sit well with Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel, who received the same explanation from Meta.

"I totally agree with the observation of Secretary Jay, that we are at the mercy of Meta platforms... Ang request lang natin sa kanila is self-regulation. However, sabi ko nga, di tayo pinapakinggan (We're just requesting self-regulation from them. However, they are not listening to us)," Pimentel said.

"In fact, during the previous hearing, when we asked the Meta representatives, sinabihan pa kami (they even told us), that public officials are subject to criticisms," he added.

Pimentel said: "It's about time that if they cannot have self-regulation, it must be this government to regulate them."

"And that is why... we should really study, I don't know, if it is possible, that we should require this Meta to get a franchise from this government," he added.

Meanwhile, Fernandez also noted the spread of false narratives about the West Philippine Sea (WPS), which he described as a form of foreign interference designed to undermine the country’s rightful claims.

"Ipinakita sa ating mga hearings na hinaharap natin ang isang tahimik ngunit mapanganib na anyo ng pananakop (It was shown to us during our previous hearings that we are facing a dangerous yet silent kind of occupation)," he said.

Fernandez warned that instead of using weapons and military power, the Chinese narrative is exploiting social media to disseminate distorted information about Philippine maritime claims, twist history, and confuse the public.

“Ginagamit nila ang maling impormasyon upang linlangin ang ating isipan, baluktutin ang kasaysayan, at siraan ang ating lehitimong karapatan sa ating sariling karagatan … Ang propagandang ito ay may layuning pahinain ang ating paninindigan, hatiin ang opinyon ng publiko, at gawing normal ang kanilang ilegal na presensya sa ating karagatan (They're using misinformation to deceive our minds, twist the history and strip us of our legitimate rights to our own sea. Their propaganda aims to weaken our position, divide the public opinion and normalize their illegal presence in our own waters),” Fernandez stressed.

He emphasized that Filipino vloggers and influencers are being used as mouthpieces to propagate China's narratives. 

Fernandez declared that the joint committee will soon release a report containing concrete recommendations to counter this threat.

Agusan del Norte Rep. Jose  Aquino II stressed the need for urgent legislation to hold malicious actors accountable and strengthen digital literacy among Filipinos.

“Truly, the rampant spread of online disinformation is a problem that breeds more problems. It distorts reality, fosters distrust, fuels hatred, and sows confusion across our society," Aquino said.

“As we near the end of this joint inquiry, one thing is clear – there is an urgent need for legislation to steer the wheel towards a lasting and responsive solution to this problem.”

Aquino called for equipping government agencies with mandates and powers to enforce accountability.

“We also have to ensure that those who deliberately spread falsehoods are held accountable under the law,” he said.

Aquino also highlighted the importance of programs aimed at boosting digital literacy among the youth.

“Empowering them to discern factual from false information is essential to building a resilient and informed citizenry,” he added.