Media orgs express concern over risks of anti-fake news bill

Media organizations on Tuesday expressed concern over the risks posed by a proposed anti-fake news measure on freedom of expression and valid political views.

The groups raised their apprehension during a joint Senate hearing on Senate Bill 1296 filed by Senator Jinggoy Estrada and seeking to criminalize the spread of disinformation online.  

"We join the other resource persons in saying [that] although fake news is a problem, it might be better addressed with better media and information literacy," said Jonathan De Santos, chairman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.

"We could also look at Senator [Raffy] Tulfo’s point in reaching platforms to take down ‘yung disinformation and fake news, and also free wifi and internet access," he added.

Asked by Senator Francis Tolentino if this meant leaving it up to the social media outfits to clean up their respective platforms, De Santos said, "It might be better Mr. Chair, to put more pressure on them than the prospect of example, isang netizen or journalist, na makukulong siya o mape-penalize siya."

"Parang mas mabigat kasi yung danger to free speech and freedom of expression sa ganu'n," De Santos said.

(It might be better Mr. Chair, to put more pressure on them than the prospect of example, a netizen or journalist, getting jailed or penalized.)

The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas expressed concern over the definitions.

"It should not be too broad to include prohibition of valid political opinions," said KBP general counsel and spokesman Rudolph Jularbal.

Jularbal said the KBP was concerned that the way the law was crafted  might impede free speech and expression.

"We recognize that there is a problem and we feel that there are other solutions, particularly in educating the public on how to deal and how to determine whether a news, an information is misinformation or disinformation," Jularbal said. —NB, GMA Integrated News