The Philippine National Police (PNP) created a special committee that will address the prevalence of fake news, especially those related to peace and order and national security.

PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said the new task group, the Joint Anti-Fake News Action Committee (JAFNAC), will address what he described as the growing menace of misinformation and disinformation that threaten public trust.

The claims about the kidnapping of several high-profile personalities following the kidnap-slay of Chinese businessman Anson Que apparently became the last straw for the PNP to create the special committee which will be headed by Police Lt. Gen. Robert Robert Rodriguez, the deputy chief for Operations of the PNP.

“Fake news is not harmless—it can incite fear, panic, and even unrest. Under Bagong Pilipinas, we are taking a firm stand. We will not allow deception to dictate the public narrative,” said Marbil.

“The creation of the JAFNAC is a direct response to these incidents and aims to institutionalize coordination, monitoring, and response strategies to combat disinformation across all platforms,” he added.

Marbil said the JAFNAC will work alongside with the Joint Anti-Kidnapping Action Committee (JAKAC) which was tasked to identify, investigate, and neutralize and organize kidnap-for-hire operations in the country.

The JAKAC will be headed by Police Lt. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo, PNP chief directorial staff.

“These committees are not just organizational measures—they are proactive responses to modern-day threats. From kidnap-for-hire syndicates to digital disinformation campaigns, the PNP is moving decisively to protect our people,” said Marbil.

“The formation of these committees reflects the PNP’s commitment to transparent, accountable, and proactive policing. These initiatives are grounded on the principle that a secure and informed citizenry is key to national development,” he added.

Alarming

Two high-ranking congressmen have sounded the alarm over the prevalence of fake, pro-Duterte social media accounts that are allegedly being used to deceive Filipinos and manipulate online discourse ahead of the May 12 mid-term elections.

According to Senior Deputy Speaker Pampanga 2nd district Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. and Quezon 2nd district Rep. David "Jay-Jay" Suarez, these social media accounts are being "weaponized" in the online space.

“We must defend the Filipino people not just from guns and goons, but from ghost accounts flooding their social media feeds with propaganda and deception,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales was reacting to a Reuters report that about one-third of social media accounts discussing former president Rodrigo Duterte’s recent International Criminal Court (ICC) case were fake.

The accounts were reported used to defend the ex-leader, who was charged with crimes against humanity before the United Nations (UN)-backed court.

The report cited research by Israeli tech firm Cyabra, which claimed that there was a “deliberate, organized” campaign to shape public perception around the May elections.

It also warned that up to 45 percent of discussions related to the 2025 elections were being driven by inauthentic actors such as bots, sock puppets and paid influencers—potentially reaching tens of millions of users.

Gonzales warned that the growing sophistication of digital manipulation poses a serious threat to the integrity of the country’s electoral process. “When bots, trolls, and fake profiles can reach millions of Filipinos and alter the truth with just a few clicks, democracy itself is under attack."

Suarez said: “This is digital warfare, plain and simple. And the battlefield is not just the Internet—it’s the hearts and minds of millions of Filipinos."

“This is a wake-up call. The weaponization of disinformation to mislead, misinform and manipulate voters is one of the gravest threats to our democracy today,” added the solon from Quezon.

Suarez said that the growing scale and sophistication of such disinformation networks are drowning out legitimate voices online and eroding public trust in democratic institutions.

“Fake praise, fake news, fake accounts—this is how digital warfare is being waged today. And the most dangerous part is, ordinary people might not even know they’re being influenced,” he said.

He also urged major social media platforms like Meta, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube to take stronger, more proactive action to detect and remove coordinated fake accounts.

Meanwhile, Gonzales urged the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to launch a joint national digital literacy program to help students and the public identify and resist coordinated disinformation campaigns.

“It’s not enough to fact-check after the damage is done. We need to inoculate our people against lies and fake news—especially the youth who are most active online and most vulnerable to digital manipulation,” said the Pampanga lawmaker. (With a report from Ellson Quismorio)