The Philippines is incessantly tackling the issue of fake/false news. Unfortunately, not everyone in the Philippines is literate, or has been able to finish at least high school, or is capable of logical reasoning. I'm not saying that the Filipino is stupid...I'm saying that the Filipino most of the time is gullible and may react using his/her emotions rather than logical reasoning. This fact is why satirical news and any other form of fake news is such a big deal in this country.
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| Mocha Uson, an appointed government official, has published fake/false news. Mocha Uson in 2017 by Albert Alcain under Public Domain. |
The problem with "fake news" lies within the gray area of "fair use" which in turn is exploited by websites or bloggers who knowingly publish "fake news" and know that they are protected by "freedom of speech". This critical concept of "freedom of speech" has also been exploited by pro-administrative bloggers but, of course, has been brushed aside due to the benefits that the State receives in terms of positive feedback from the masses.
Unfortunately, the House of Representatives (Philippines) under the watchful eye of the Duterte administration has taken a step to mandate "responsible" speech which is geared towards the use of "free speech" by the public. The House of Representatives has moved to amend Article 3, Section 4 of the Constitution's Bill of Rights, which currently states “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances” to read “No law shall be passed abridging the responsible exercise of the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.” The inclusion of "the responsible exercise of" establishes the right of the State to judge what IT sees as responsible or not. In short, the government has placed a clothespin on the lips of every Filipino.
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| Senator Grace Poe delivering a privilege speech on the floor of the Senate of the Philippines by Office of Senator Grace Poe under Public Domain. |
To even the score, Senator Grace Poe has proposed a bill that would penalize state employees and officials who share false information. Poe's Senate Bill No.1680, which would consequently amend the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (R.A. 6713), will penalize government officials and employees, especially those tasked to disseminate information, who share false news or information.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque openly criticized this bill and went on to say that it infringes upon the equal protection of the law since the bill will focus on government officials. He is also quoted saying, "And we can only hope that because people were given by God the ability to discern what is true and what is false, it's ultimately the public and the free marketplace of ideas that should judge what the truth is and that should put ultimately the penalty on purveyors of fake news." Honestly, I wish it was as simple as that. People with wisdom judging "fairly". But, it isn't. I think he's either protecting someone or protecting himself since he is now the Presidential Spokesperson. If this bill takes effect, anything that comes out of his mouth should be the whole "honest to goodness" truth and should not merit any sugarcoating nor bias. Since he is tasked to disseminate information and answer questions of the ever so discerning public, he will have to take measures to be objective and honest as possible.
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| Harry Roque in 2017 by Albert Alcain under Public Domain. |
Senator Poe assured Roque that this bill will not be used to "overregulate" rather provide a transparency that the public clamors for. She explains, " ...there are certain things expected of us because we have waived that certain right because we are serving the people and we want to be transparent. Elected or appointed government officials who do not want the responsibility of giving real information to the public should not be in public service."
When asked if she agreed with Harry Roque's statement that the public should be the judge whether the news is false or not, she answered the question with another question, "Why should we allow our people to make this determination if we know that the information to be disseminated is not true?' Yeah, Mr. Roque...stop wasting the Filipino's time.
Related Links:
York, Jillian et al. "Duterte Administration Moves to Kill Free Speech in the Philippines", Electronic Frontier Foundation
Avendano, C. " Poe, Roque Clash Over Fake News Bill", Inquirer
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| The Pinoy Inquisitor will be back again. |
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