House Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy III made a fervent call for Filipinos to stop the spread of fake news on Monday afternoon, May 4, as he said that misinformation undermines government’s efforts to address the country’s more pressing problems.

Speaker Dy, Isabela's 6th district representative, made the appeal on the resumption of plenary sessions after the six-week long summer recess.

“Sa mga nagtatanim ng pagdududa sa isip ng taumbayan, nakikiusap kami na itigil ninyo na ang pagpapakalat ng fake news dahil hindi ito nakakatulong sa pagresolba sa mga problema ng ating bayan,” Dy said in his address to his congressman-colleagues.

(To those planting doubt in the minds of the people, we appeal to you to stop spreading fake news because it does not help in solving the problems of our nation.)

The House leader--President Marcos' party-mate over at the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP)--did not mention any specific case of fake news that may have triggered his appeal.

At any rate, he emphasized that the members of the House remained focused on their mandate, guided by accountability to the Filipino people.

“Wala po kaming ibang hangarin kundi makapaglingkod, at gawin ang aming mga responsibilidad dito sa Kamara (We have no other aim but to serve and fulfill our responsibilities here in the House)," Dy said.

"Gagawin namin ang aming mandato at tungkulin nang makatarungan at tapat sapagkat naniniwala kaming walang anumang katumbas ang prinsipyo at dangal (We will carry out our mandate and duties with fairness and integrity because we believe that principles and honor have no equivalent)," he vowed.

Dy said that every action taken by the House was anchored on the welfare of the public and their constitutional duty to push for transparency and accountability in government.

“Sa bawat desisyon, iisa lang ang aming gabay: ang aming pananagutan sa inyo at sa buong bayan ((In every decision, we have only one guide: our accountability to you and to the entire nation)—our oath to uphold the welfare of our people and to ensure transparency and accountability in government."

The Speaker's call resonated with Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts.

It just so happened that Ridon filed on Monday House Resolution (HR) No. 980, which sought a congressional inquiry into the alleged disinformation operations of Peanut Gallery Media Network (PGMN), as well aa closer scrutiny of its tax compliance and possible tax evasion.

“This is in full support of the Speaker’s fight against fake news—but we must go beyond content and examine the operations behind it, including how these are funded and whether they are compliant with tax laws,” Ridon said.

The outspoken lawmaker says that the inquiry will not only address misleading content, but also the business and financial activities of those behind such operations, including owners, partners, and affiliated entities.

“If these disinformation operations are monetized—and there are strong indications that they are—then the question is simple: are they properly declared, taxed, and regulated? Otherwise, this raises serious concerns of tax evasion,” he said.

The resolution cites viral content attributed to PGMN showing a supposed surge in electricity bills, which upon closer examination featured different Customer Account Numbers (CANs). This raised serious concerns of deliberate misrepresentation.

“For ordinary Filipino households already burdened by high electricity costs, this is not just irresponsible—it is deceptive. Real issues should not be exploited through fabricated or misleading content,” he said.

The resolution calls for coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and other relevant agencies to determine possible violations of law, including those relating to disinformation, unlawful business practices, and tax compliance.

“We will not allow legitimate public concerns to be weaponized by disinformation networks,” Ridon said.