PH House committees investigate fake news, issue show cause orders

Three Philippine House committees are investigating fake news and disinformation on social media and online platforms, holding a joint public hearing recently where only three out of 41 invited social media personalities attended.

Representatives from tech companies like Google, Meta (Facebook), and ByteDance (TikTok) were also invited but did not attend. Some vloggers have filed a petition in the Supreme Court arguing that the inquiry aims to limit democratic space.

At Tuesday's hearing, lawmakers issued show cause orders against former press secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles and several social media personalities for failing to appear without valid excuses.

Experts such as Ellen Tordesillas and Jonathan Ong emphasized the need for revisiting existing laws like the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 to establish a code of ethics or regulatory framework for online content while balancing free speech.

Rep. Dan Fernandez, chair of the committee, stressed the importance of crafting or amending existing laws to penalize malicious online content while safeguarding individuals from disinformation.