Vice President Leni Robredo gives a post-election statement from her home in Magarao, Camarines Norte in the early hours of Tuesday, May 10, 2022. (File photo from VP Leni Media Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Even when she finally becomes a private citizen come June 30, outgoing Vice President Leni Robredo isn鈥檛 planning on taking it easy as her team already has plans to push back against disinformation and fake news on social media, her spokesperson said on Sunday.
In their weekly radio show, 鈥淏ISEserbisyong LENI,鈥� on , lawyer Barry Gutierrez said they would be launching 鈥渁 broad movement as well as initiatives to address and fight disinformation and fake news on social media.鈥�
This would run parallel to her upcoming Angat Buhay Foundation, which is set to start on July 1 and would carry some of her flagship projects.
鈥淚t鈥檚 clear that this kind of strategy is destroying democracy and destroying our capacity for proper public discourse,鈥� Gutierrez said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really too much 鈥� it鈥檚 as if lies and fake news are winning and we can鈥檛 let that happen.鈥�
Among others, he confirmed they were also eyeing legal options against fake news peddlers and possibly even against the platforms that host disinformation.
鈥淚f we just let this be, it will just go on 鈥� the lies, the deception, the character assassination, discourse that is hinged on wrong things,鈥� he warned. 鈥淭his is not only for VP Leni, or everybody who has ever been victimized by this on social media, but ultimately it is for the benefit and good of our country.鈥�
Several analysts agree that the massive disinformation campaign against Robredo played a huge role in her loss in the 2022 presidential elections.
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