Marcos: Fake news has no place in Philippine society

MANILA, Philippines — Saying that fake news has no place in Philippine society, President Marcos yesterday assured the public that his government would not only be “effective and efficient,” but also “transparent and accountable to our people.”

In his speech at the 14th International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) in Pasay City, Marcos asserted that the Philippines is one with the organization in advancing the people’s right to access information.

“The Philippines stands in solidarity with the ICIC and the entire international community in this advocacy. As a nation with a robust democracy, we reaffirm our commitment to champion this basic human right. It remains indelibly etched in our fundamental law,” he said.

The President cited the country’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Program, which was launched in 2016, during the beginning of the term of his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte.

“The FOI Program has greatly advanced the campaign against misinformation and disinformation in the country, a problem that we in the Philippines also suffer from, as I guess all of us do around the world,” Marcos said.

“Like everyone here, we, too, recognize as a matter of principle that fake news should have no place in modern society,” he added.

The FOI program has promoted transparency in government transactions and full accountability of officials, particularly those in the executive branch, according to the Chief Executive.

“We value its potency to empower our people to make informed decisions to participate fully in the democratic process and hold their representatives accountable without fear or apprehension,” he said.

Marcos emphasized that as part of the efforts to fight disinformation, his administration would undertake a media and information literacy campaign, which would be digital, multimedia and youth-oriented.

In March, the Presidential Communications Office announced that the government is launching a nationwide digital media literacy campaign in the middle of this year.

In his address, Marcos also reminded all workers in the government to “genuinely uphold and give effect to the people’s freedom of information in the course of our day-to-day operations, with good faith and with openness.”

He said the FOI has become a platform to facilitate efficient delivery of basic services to Filipinos.

“But we are pressing forward in our efforts to promote our people’s twin rights to information and to good governance,” the President stressed, noting that the principles under the FOI program were included in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

The program also serves as the basis for the electronic governance or e-governance initiative, which is among this administration’s priorities, according to Marcos.

He said the e-governance program advocates the streamlining and digitalization of key services of various government offices and local government units, and seeks to consolidate public’s access to information.

He added that it was a great distinction to be the first country in Southeast Asia to become part of the ICIC and a founding member of Asia’s network of Access to Information Bodies.

“We wish the ICIC the very best in its advocacies and efforts across the globe. We share the belief that the efforts that you (exert) make the world truly inclusive, just and simply a better place to live in,” the President said.

“Beyond this event, the ICIC can be assured that the Philippines will continue to promote Freedom of Information. With a whole-of-nation approach, we will strive to maintain a government that is not only effective and efficient, but also transparent and accountable to our people,” he added.

Meanwhile, in her speech, Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said the country’s hosting of the ICIC this year is a testament that the Philippine government “recognizes access to information as a fundamental human right that must be upheld.”