DICT monitoring AI, deep fakes in 2025 midterm elections

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is closely monitoring the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced fake news content and “deep fakes” related to the upcoming 2025 midterm elections.

Jeffrey Ian Dy, DICT undersecretary for infostructure management, cybersecurity and upskilling, said the agency has the tools to do effective monitoring of such content being spread in cyberspace.

However, Dy said that DICT cannot actively filter or take down such content. He said they will need the cooperation of global social media giants to keep such content from spreading.

“We need a law to regulate that, and we also need social media platforms such as Meta and Google to be on board,” Dy told The STAR.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) had said it will monitor the use of such AI-powered propaganda in the 2025 midterm elections.

Marcos ‘Magic 12’

The administration of President Marcos is putting the finishing touches on the newly formed Alyansa ng Bagong Pilipinas party that will be launched for the 2025 midterm elections, where the so-called “Magic 12” has already been completed.

Multiple sources confirmed that the “powerhouse team” of the administration nears completion, where names of the 10 senatorial candidates are final, with the exception of two – former senator Panfilo Lacson and incumbent Sen. Imee Marcos – whose inclusion is still being finalized.

Lacson’s inclusion in the party is being pushed by his very close friend and ally, former Senate president Tito Sotto III, whose two other colleagues in the Nationalist People’s Coalition – reelectionist Sen. Lito Lapid and Makati Mayor Abby Binay – will be joining the party.

The Alyansa ng Bagong Pilipinas guest candidate is Rep. Erwin Tulfo of party-list ACT-CIS, while reelectionist Sen. Bong Revilla Jr. will be running under the Lakas-CMD party.

As for the remaining five candidates, there will be two from the Villar-led Nacionalista Party (NP) and three from the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, the original political party of Marcos when he ran for president in the May 2022 elections.

Candidates from the NP are House Deputy Speaker Camille Villar (Las Piñas lone district) – daughter of former Senate president Manny Villar and outgoing Sen. Cynthia Villar – and reelectionist Sen. Pia Cayetano. Senator Marcos is identified as a member of the NP.

Those from the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas are reelectionist Sen. Francis Tolentino, who left former president Duterte’s PDP-Laban party, returning senator Manny Pacquiao and Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos. — Mayen Jaymalin, Delon Porcalla