Groups warn fake news provision in COVID-19 bill may stifle criticism

President Rodrigo Duterte's special powers bill to address the COVID-19 crisis includes provisions penalizing the spread of fake news with up to two months in jail and a P1 million fine.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and Democracy.Net.PH have raised concerns that these provisions could be used by government officials to suppress legitimate criticisms during the pandemic.

Section 6 of the bill penalizes individuals or groups creating, perpetrating, or spreading false information regarding the crisis on social media and other platforms.