‘Can fake news purveyors be called cyberterrorists?’ PCO’s Jay Ruiz asks

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (left) and Presidential Communications Office Secretary Jay Ruiz (Photo courtesy of PCO)

MANILA, Philippines — “Can fake news purveyors be called cyberterrorists?”

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Jay Ruiz posed this question at the official launch of the Joint Anti-Fake News Action Committee (JAFNAC) of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The event was held in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Friday.

“Our governing law is the Cybercrime Law. It somewhat falls short. It is a bit weak,” Ruiz said in Filipino. “What if the information you spread already caused a grave evil in society? Can the perpetrators already be called cyberterrorists?”

According to Ruiz, the PCO is working with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG), and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

They want to form a “framework” to compel social media platforms to take down materials that generate and spread wrong and malicious information.

READ: Palace sees need to regulate social media vs. fake news

“It’s a perception game. So, we have to win that perception. We have to have that legal basis that if a post is found to be fake, the platforms will be held responsible at once,” Ruiz said.

The PCO secretary also told the audience about his proposed regulatory body relating to social media.

He likened the agency to the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.