Photo from Rep. Rodante Marcoleta鈥檚 Facebook page.
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� At least two nationwide broadsheets and two research firms have been invited to the House of Representatives鈥� investigation regarding the alleged disinformation and misinformation on the internet and social media, as these entities were accused of also being engaged in such acts.
During the hearing of the House tri committee on Tuesday, Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta asked committee on public order and safety chairperson and Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez if the hearing would cover alleged fake news issues on social media only.
When Fernandez responded in the negative, Marcoleta then asked if there were mainstream news outlets invited to the discussions, as he believes that the presence of these institutions is also important.
鈥淒id we invite, Mr. Chair, the Philippine (Daily) Inquirer, and the Philippine Star? Because I think, Mr. Chair, not only the social media [is] supposed to be invited but also the mainstream media, and I am personally victimized by these two popular newspapers, broadsheets,鈥� Marcoleta claimed.
鈥淜aya importante lang sana, gusto ko ring marinig kung nandito (That鈥檚 why it is important; I just want to know if they are here),鈥� he added.
When the committee secretariat noted that both newspaper institutions were not invited, Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano then made a motion on behalf of Marcoleta, who cannot raise motions since he is not a member of the panels.
鈥淲ith regards to the query being made by Congressman Marcoleta, I do believe that he has a basis for that,鈥� Paduano said.
鈥淎nd since Mr. Chairman, the comm sec(retariat) has confirmed that indeed, [the] Philippine Daily Inquirer and Philippine Star are not invited [to] today鈥檚 hearing, since Congressman Marcoleta is not a member of this committee, may I respectfully move, Mr. Chairman, that in the next hearing, we will invite [the] Philippine Daily Inquirer and Philippine Star to expedite discussions,鈥� he added.
Afterwards, Marcoleta aired grievances with two polling firms, Social Weather Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia.
鈥淢r. Chair, I still have to include another aspect of inquiry.听 Kasi hindi lamang po 鈥榶ong social media at saka 鈥榶ong mainstream media, I was also personally victimized by certain survey firms, nagsu-survey po sila, for example, 鈥榶ong SWS 鈥� kailangang sabihin ko na po 鈥� nag-survey po sila ng third quarter survey last year and they listed 40 names, senatorial preferences,鈥� he said.
(Mr. Chair, I still have to include another aspect of inquiry.听 Because it is not only through social media and mainstream media, I was also personally victimized by certain survey firms; they do surveys, for example, SWS 鈥� I need to name it 鈥� they did a survey for the third quarter last year, and they listed 40 names and senatorial preferences.)
鈥淭here are 40 names mentioned and indicated in that list [鈥 gusto ko lang po i-emphasize na dito sa 40 na senatoriables po na kanilang ginamit dito sa survey na ito, meron pong anim na relatively unknown [鈥 pero po malinaw dito Mr. Chair hindi po nila ako nilagay dito sa 40.听 Pero no鈥檔 pong outcome na ito ay ipalabas nila.听 Number 36 po ako, papaano po mangyayari na ako鈥檡 number 36?鈥� he asked
(There are 40 names mentioned and indicated in that list [鈥 I just want to emphasize here that there are 40 senatoriables used in the survey; six are relatively unknown [鈥 but it is clear here, Mr. Chair, that they did not place me in the 40.听 But in the outcome they released, I was ranked 36th.听 How will I be number 36?)
Marcoleta claimed the surveys are 鈥渕anipulative.鈥�
鈥淚to po 鈥榶ong klase ng manipulative surveys na pinaniniwalaan po ng mga tao.听 Sana po hindi na lang nila ako sinama sapagkat wala naman ako dito,鈥� Marcoleta noted.
(These are the types of manipulative surveys that people believe.听 They should have not included my name as I was not part of the list.)
Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers 鈥� whose privilege speeches became the subject of the tri committee hearing 鈥� however, noted that the scope of the discussions should be on social media.
Fernandez, on the other hand, said that it would be good to discuss these issues comprehensively.
鈥淪ocial media lang eh, kaya 鈥榶on lang 鈥榶ong topic natin (It鈥檚 just social media, so our topic should be confined to that),鈥� Barbers stressed.
鈥淣o, Congressman Barbers, you have delivered in your privilege speech (about) a 鈥榳ide, comprehensive approach鈥� on this matter.听 And inviting over the survey firms is also correct,鈥� Fernandez replied.
The tri committee, composed of the House committee on public order and safety, the committee on public information, and the committee on information and communication technology, has been tasked to probe the spread of disinformation online after several resolutions were filed and with the delivery of privilege speeches about the matter.
READ: 40 socmed users, platform reps invited to House fake news probe听
Barbers was one of the lawmakers who called out the proliferation of fake information after rumors about him and the other chairpersons of the House quad committee were disseminated.
The quad comm was then probing illegal activities in Philippine offshore gaming operators, the illicit drug trade, and extrajudicial killings in the past administration鈥檚 drug war.
READ: 鈥楩ighting drugs since 1995鈥�: Barbers laughs off 鈥榙rug lord鈥� rumors听
Filipinos have long been considered to be one of the 鈥� if not the most 鈥� prevalent social media and internet users across the globe.听 A Digital 2022 report of social media management firm Hootsuite and creative agency We Are Social, Filipinos were found to have ranked second on the list of countries whose citizens spend the most time on the internet and social media 鈥� an average of 6 hours and 58 minutes per day.
READ: 听
However, heavy social media use also means that Filipinos are susceptible to misinformation and disinformation: last May 2024, lawmakers urged the public to exercise discretion amid the spread of videos where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.鈥檚 voice is being mimicked to announce that the Philippines is getting ready for war against China.