Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez shared his main takeaway from the investigation on fake news during the fifth and final hearing of the House tri-committee (tri-comm) on Thursday, June 5.
Fernandez served as overall chairman of the joint panel and wanted to put a bow on the proceedings in the 19th Congress.
"Sa ating mga kasama sa tri-committee, mga kapwa mambabatas, resource persons, at mga patuloy na sumusubaybay sa ating mga pagdinig—isang taos-pusong pasasalamat po sa inyong lahat," the outgoing lawmaker said in what he called his "last speech" during the hearing.
(To our colleagues in the tri-committee, fellow legislators, resource persons, and everyone who has consistently followed our hearings—my deepest gratitude to all of you)
"Ngayong tinatapos natin ang serye ng mga pagdinig, gusto ko pong idiin: ang fake news at disimpormasyon ay hindi lang isyung pampulitika. Ito ay personal. Ito ay pang-araw-araw. Ito ay nakakaapekto sa tiwala, sa reputasyon, at sa ugnayan ng bawat isa sa atin," a melancholic Fernandez said.
(As we conclude this series of hearings, I want to emphasize: fake news and disinformation are not just political issues. They are personal. They are part of our daily lives. They affect trust, reputation, and our relationships with one another.)
The three-term congressman said that behind this large-scale campaign of deception are reputation management firms and interest groups that act silently but wield vast influence.
"Ginagamit ang teknolohiya, algorithms, at social media para kontrolin hindi lang ang ating iniisip, kundi pati na rin ang ating nararamdaman. Kung sino ang kaawaan, kung sino ang siraan, kung ano ang dapat nating paniwalaan—unti-unti nila tayong hinuhubog," he said.
(They use technology, algorithms, and social media not only to control what we think but also to shape how we feel. Who deserves sympathy, who should be discredited, what we ought to believe--bit by bit, they mold us)
"Pero hindi tayo basta-basta papayag. Hindi tayo mananahimik (But we will not simply accept this. We will not stay silent)," declared Fernandez.
"Kaya nga’t bilang inyong lingkod at kasapi ng tri-comm, hinihikayat ko tayong lahat na magsama-sama sa laban kontra fake news (As your public servant and a member of tri-comm, I urge all of us to stand together in the fight against fake news)," he said.
The tri-comm, led by Fernandez, sought to determine the accountability of some content creators like vloggers and social media influencers for peddling fake news. It also sought the platforms’ response to the spread of coordinated disinformation.
The tri-comm approved its committee report on Thursday.