By Celeste Tamayo
MANILA — The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to combating fake news.
PCO Secretary Jaybee Ruiz on Thursday signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to strengthen efforts against misinformation and disinformation.
“The PCO will fight fake news through a whole-of-government approach,” Ruiz said during the MOA signing with CICC Executive Director Undersecretary Alexander Ramos.
Ruiz expressed hope that more agencies would join the campaign against fake news.
“Fake news has become prevalent in recent times. It has intensified in the past weeks, especially after former President Rodrigo Duterte was reportedly arrested by Interpol and brought to The Hague, Netherlands, to face allegations of crimes against humanity,” he said.
“Fighting fake news is the fight of our generation. We must all join hands and work together to win this battle,” he added.
To strengthen internal mechanisms against false information, the PCO has directed all its attached agencies to designate dedicated fact-checking officers.
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