Newly appointed Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Jay Ruiz vowed to combat misinformation and fake news as he identified them as critical challenges facing the Marcos administration.

Ruiz said this as he stepped in as the new PCO secretary, replacing fellow seasoned broadcaster Cesar Chavez who resigned on Feb. 5.

In an interview, after he took his oath before President Marcos on Monday morning, Feb. 24, Ruiz emphasized the urgency of addressing the spread of falsehoods, which he said undermines public trust and harms the nation.

"Syempre kinakailangan natin labanan ang mga fake news lalo na ang mga kasinungalingan, kasi yun ang nakakasama sa atin (We need to fight fake news, especially the lies, because that’s what harms us)," he said.

"Ang daming kasinungalingan na mga sinasabi sa atin, na walang facts (There are so many lies being spread without facts)," he added.

Ruiz said the proliferation of baseless claims is a significant issue the PCO must face head-on to ensure Filipinos receive accurate information.

The new PCO chief called on vloggers and content creators to play a pivotal role in this effort, urging them to uphold truth in their work.

Ruiz likewise said that public information responsibilities will be a key focus for the PCO, aiming to counter the spread of fake news with factual and reliable communication.

"Kung kayo mga vlogger kinakailangan natin maging responsibilidad... yung responsibilidad niyo sa tao na magsabi ng katotohanan (If you're vloggers, you need to be responsible. You have the responsibility to the people to tell the truth)," he said.

Ruiz shared the PCO's goal of delivering the administration's message of hope and truth to ordinary Filipinos.

"Ang gusto ng Pangulo ay maibigay ang mensahe at programa sa ating mga ordinaryong Pilipino (The President wants to deliver the message and programs to ordinary citizens)," he said.

"Ang unang order ng Pangulo ay dapat yung mensahe ng gobyerno ay malaman ng taong bayan (The President’s first order is that the government’s message must be known by the people)," he added.

Meanwhile, Ruiz thanked Chavez for his guidance on the functions and performance of PCO offices.

"Sa ngayon, of course, yung smooth transition. Kilala naman natin si Sec. Chavez. Nagpapasalamat tayo sa kanya na ituturo niya sa amin (For now, of course, it’s a smooth transition. We all know Sec. Chavez, and we’re thankful to him for guiding us)," he said.