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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Erwin Tulfo stresses need for accountability on fake news at 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union

Erwin Tulfo stresses need for accountability on fake news at 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union

Published Oct 20, 2025 11:58 am

At A Glance

  • Senator Erwin Tulfo called for stronger accountability measures and media literacy initiatives to combat fake news while upholding freedom of speech, as he emphasized that fighting disinformation is essential to protecting democracy at the 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly in Geneva.
Senator Erwin Tulfo expressed the need to institute accountability mechanisms against spreaders of false information in a bid to uphold and strengthen democracy at the 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland.
Senator Raffy Tulfo (left) and Senator Erwin Tulfo (right) (Photo from OS Erwin Tulfo)
Senator Raffy Tulfo (left) and Senator Erwin Tulfo (right) (Photo from OS Erwin Tulfo)
Tulfo, head of the Philippine delegation to the ongoing IPU conference, delivered a speech detailing how fake news negatively affected public perception of government and the political atmosphere in the Philippines.
“We, in the Philippines, have seen how fake news and malicious online campaigns can erode public trust, distort democratic discourse, and even incite anger and violence. What begins as a false post or manipulated image can spread faster than facts, and the damage, once done, is often irreversible,” Tulfo said during the meeting among lawmakers from ASEAN countries, Korea, Japan, and China held on Oct. 19.
While discussing the ill effects of fake news, Tulfo noted the importance of respecting and protecting freedom of speech in democratic countries.
“Our task, therefore, is not to silence voices, but to safeguard truth; to ensure that the digital public square remains a place for informed dialogue, not deception,” Tulfo, a veteran journalist turned lawmaker, said.
“We must work together as parliamentarians to strengthen legal frameworks that hold accountable those who deliberately spread falsehoods, without endangering legitimate expression,” he urged.
Apart from legal measures in combating disinformation and misinformation, Tulfo also advocated investing in media literacy, especially among the youth, so citizens can better discern truth from lies.
“Ultimately, the fight against disinformation is not only about defending our leaders; it is about defending democracy itself,” he concluded.
Tulfo, a member of the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, has been pushing for transparency in government to fight the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation in the Philippines.
In July, Tulfo filed Senate Bill (SB) No. 768, which seeks to penalize the generation and spread of fake news or information deliberately presented as factual content with the intent to mislead or deceive the audience.
He also filed SB No. 1361, or the “People’s Freedom of Information Act”, which would help strengthen accountability in government and combat fake news in the Philippines.
Tulfo leads the Philippine delegation in participating in the IPU Assembly and related meetings which will run until Oct. 23.
The Philippine delegation is composed of Senator Raffy Tulfo, Senator Imee Marcos; Representatives Ferdinand Hernandez, Kristine Singson-Meehan, Ma. Georgina De Venecia, Maria Rachel Arenas, Faustino Michael Carlos Dy III, Brian Poe-Llamanzares, Jonathan Clement Abalos II and Florabel Yatco.

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fake news disinformation Erwin Tulfo 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly
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