De Lima joins call for legislative action vs. fake news 

Senator Leila de Lima on Tuesday called for a legislative inquiry to "strengthen the fight" against the proliferation of fake news and propaganda, saying she herself has been a subject of such reports. 

In her privilege speech, De Lima recalled so-called news of her supposed resignation from the Senate, being called "abnormal" for not supporting extrajudicial killings, and a supposed suicide attempt. 

She said she would have simply laughed such reports off for being "downright absurd," but things, she said "are getting much, much worse" now. 

De Lima, a staunch critic of the Duterte administration, lamented how her relatives have also become victims of fake news. 

"I will not stand here and wait for them to invent hurtful and damaging rumors about my special child, Israel, or my ailing mother. I am here to say, enough is enough," De Lima said. 

De Lima also took a swipe against so-called "trolls" on social media who promote fake news as gospel truth. 

"Sila ang tagapagtanggol ng kasinungalingan at mga nang-aapi. Wala po silang pinapalampas: sa kababaihan nga, mas malala at mas matindi pa ang pambabastos at pagpapahiya nila sa social media," she said. 

De Lima, former Justice secretary, said fake news has been weaponized against the Filipino people's rights. 

"That is what makes it a matter needing legislative attention from the Senate: because fake news has become, and has been for a while, a weapon that is being wielded against the Filipino people and their exercise of their rights, freedoms and the enjoyment of their democratic way of life," she said. 

At the same time, De Lima called on her colleagues to support the resolutions separately filed by Senators Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan and Antonio Trillanes IV, both seeking an investigation on the proliferation of fake news. 

"There comes a point where we can only do so much to protect our people from fraudsters, beyond that it falls upon them to protect themselves.  But our duty is to adequately equip them to make the distinction and to think for themselves," De Lima said.  

"That is the least that we owe to ourselves, our children, and to the future of our nation," she added. — RSJ, GMA News