Claire Castro 鈥擯HOTO FROM PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE
Barely a week into her new role as Malaca帽ang press officer, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro has added her voice to those pushing for legislation to penalize troll armies in order to counter fake news and disinformation on the internet.
Castro, a lawyer, pointed out that trolls do not really express their opinions but are paid to bash someone online.
鈥淥ur problem is that there are many who earn from spreading fake news to destroy a person. This cannot be considered freedom of expression because they are trolls, they are part of a troll army,鈥� she said in an interview over state-run PTV 4 on Thursday.
She likened troll armies to a syndicate whose mission is to take down a person or organization by destroying their reputations online.
Congress鈥� action
Castro, however, maintained that there was nothing wrong if Filipinos exercise their freedom of expression and criticize wrongdoing in the government.
Earlier this week, Castro, also a vlogger, vowed that the PCO would fight fake news and disinformation by sticking to the facts and to the truth in its messaging campaigns.
She appealed to the those who would be elected to the next Congress to pass a law that would criminalize online troll armies.
鈥淥ur call is to have a law on troll armies, because they are no longer for freedom of expression. Even if they say, 鈥楬ow about our freedom of expression?鈥� Hold on, if you鈥檙e a troll army, you no longer exercise that because you鈥檙e paid to tell or write something that is dictated by the one that is paying you,鈥� Castro said.
She added: 鈥淵ou know they are like puppets of a person paying them to say this and that. So there should be a law on troll armies and there should be a penalty. This should be considered a criminal act because they are acting like a syndicate.鈥�
A bill to counter online trolls and disinformation had been filed in Congress last year.
On Dec. 5, 2024, PBA Rep. Margarita Nograles-Almario and Davao Oriental Rep. Cheeno Miguel Almario filed House Bill No. 11178, also known as the Anti-Troll Farm and Election Disinformation Act, before the House of Representatives.
The bill, however, remains pending with the House committee on information and communications technology since Dec. 9 last year.
This proposed legislation seeks to prohibit the operation of troll farms, the creation and dissemination of electoral disinformation, and any form of collusion for disinformation.
The bill also includes penalties, with violators facing fines ranging from P500,000 to P10 million and imprisonment of six to 12 years. Additionally, political candidates who knowingly benefit from disinformation campaigns could face disqualification.
House inquiry
The bill also aims to protect whistleblowers and tasks the Commission on Elections to work with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group to probe troll farms.
On Nov. 27, 2024, just a week before HB 11178 was filed, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chair of the House quad committee, raised concerns about a 鈥渨ell-funded and orchestrated鈥� troll campaign aimed at discrediting their investigation into the illegal drug trade and offshore gaming operations.
Barbers claimed that drug syndicates might be funding online scam operations to undermine the inquiry and intimidate witnesses.
Since the committee began its probe in August 2024, it has been the target of coordinated troll campaigns, with critics labeling it 鈥渉uwadcomm鈥� (fraudulent committee) and attacking its members online. Barbers himself was subjected to a smear campaign, with influencers falsely linking him to illegal drugs by referencing his surname in 鈥渒wentong barbero鈥� (barbershop talk).
Troll farms have also reportedly targeted House members who have raised concerns about government agencies, including the Department of Education and the Office of the Vice President.
They have also waded into issues related to the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
In April 2024, Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the WPS, said pro-Chinese trolls had been spreading fake news and misinformation to undermine the country鈥檚 efforts opposing Beijing鈥檚 maritime claims.
Such 鈥渇ake news鈥� involved personal attacks against Philippine officials involved in the campaign to protect the WPS, with some of the content emanating from websites traced to China, he said. 鈥擶ITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH