Senator dubs PCO-CICC pact vs. disinformation 'timely, most relevant' ~ HUMAN RIGHTS PROMOTIONS

Friday, March 21, 2025

Senator dubs PCO-CICC pact vs. disinformation 'timely, most relevant'

Friday, March 21, 2025 Herbert Curia - Promoter No comments

From the Website of PNA
links: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1246513

Senator dubs PCO-CICC pact vs. disinformation 'timely, most relevant'

MANILA – Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday cited as “timely and most relevant” the

partnershp between the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), aimed to combat online disinformation and scam.

“To effectively combat disinformation and online scams, government agencies should be diligent in exposing and disproving false information in their respective areas of jurisdiction,” he said in a statement.

“This campaign must also involve private organizations, including the media."

Gatchalian underscored the importance of a whole-of-society response to counter these digital threats before they cause real-world harm.

The partnership, announced during a Palace briefing on Thursday, also involves the creation of a National Deepfake Task Force led by the PCO and supported by the CICC, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), National Bureau of Investigation, and other agencies.

Deepfakes — artificial information-generated videos that mimic real people — have emerged as a global threat to truth and democracy.

CICC Undersecretary Alexander Ramos said the joint effort will roll out a multisectoral campaign to educate and empower schools, institutions, and civil society groups in identifying and fighting disinformation.

He also revealed the development of a local discernment tool, an app capable of identifying deepfake content, which will be distributed to accredited partners including independent fact-checkers.

“We will not be selective. Our target is independent fact-checkers. It’s the community itself that will say, ‘This is a deepfake,’ not the government,” Ramos said.

The CICC is currently coordinating with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to ensure the tool is operational ahead of the 2025 midterm elections. (PNA)