Makati City Mayor and senatorial aspirant Abby Binay has called on the national government to further strengthen the capabilities of the police and other law enforcement entities in the country to effectively combat the proliferation of fake news and online scams.
Speaking at a press conference of Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas in Trece Martires, Cavite, Binay highlighted the frustrations surrounding the difficulty of catching people spreading fake news and online fraudsters.
She emphasized that beyond legislation, there must be stronger enforcement mechanisms to ensure accountability and deterrence.
"Kaya naman matapang yung mga tao na nagkakalat ng fake news...para sa kanila, 'hindi naman ako mahuhuli' o 'matagal bago nila ako mahuli' (The reason why fake news peddlers are brave is that they always think that they cannot be caught or apprehended)," Binay explained.
She attributed their boldness to the fact that the authorities have failed to apprehend online money scammers victimizing netizens.
"Kung yung nangi-scam nga ng pera ay hindi natin mahanap, eh ano pa yung gumagawa ng fake news (If those who are scamming people of their money cannot be brought to justice, then what more are fake news peddlers)," she stressed.
The mayor then urged the national government to further bolster the nation's defenses against fake news and scammers to ensure that the public will not be victimized by them.
These include equipping law enforcers with the necessary tools and training to track down those responsible for spreading false information.
She also underscored the importance of setting an example through effective enforcement.
“Ang sa akin, enforcement. Makahuli tayo, maka-sample tayo para mapakita sa lahat ng tao na 'we mean business.’ Kailangan tayong umayos. Yun yung kailangan nating ipakita (For me, enforcement is very crucial. We must be able to arrest them for the people to see that 'we mean business.' We really have to step up our efforts)," Binay stressed.
The local chief executive vowed to push for initiatives that will strengthen enforcement strategies and hold perpetrators accountable, should she be elected to the Senate.