Andanar backs move to redefine real news

MANILA, Philippines -  Communications Secretary Martin Andanar is supportive of lawmakers’ efforts to craft a measure that will redefine real news and differentiate it from fake news, which has proliferated in social media.

“I support the call of Congress and the Senate to have an investigation, in aid of legislation, regarding fake news. It is important for us, let us define news first. If a person who has many followers in the social media posts a statement, is that news right away?” he said in the weekly news forum Kapihan sa Manila Bay yesterday in Manila.

Andanar said he supports the move in the Senate spearheaded by Sen. Joel Villanueva who filed Senate Bill No. 1492 titled An Act Penalizing the Malicious Distribution of False News and Other Related Violations.

“Let us define again what makes a story news, number one. And number two, let us all identify what organizations are bonafide news organizations, meaning they should have business permits to operate and Securities Exchange Commission or SEC registration,” Andanar said.

Villanueva’s bill proposed a fine ranging from P10 million to P20 million for mass media enterprises or social media platforms that fail, neglect or refuse to remove false news.

Once passed into law, the violators also face imprisonment from 10 to 20 years.

Under Villanueva’s bill, false news or information are defined as those that either intend to cause panic, division, chaos, violence and hate, or which exhibit propaganda to blacken or discredit one’s reputation.

Andanar, a former television personality, noted that legitimate journalists have adhered to journalistic standards and accountability compared to social media practitioners, including bloggers.

“In our lingo, we used to call it inaccurate news most of the time, if not all of the time, we issue errata for these articles,” he said.

He said the move in the Senate could help the public distinguish between accurate news and fake reporting.

“First, we should separate the grain from the chaff. Which is a news organization, which has a business permit, SEC registration, etc. After that, we review the news that come out,” he said.

If a blogger has 50,000 followers, Andanar said, he wants to know if certain posts can be categorized as news.

Andanar also took up the cudgels for Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson, whose entry to government has raised eyebrows.

Uson, who handles social media under the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) that Andanar heads, cannot separate her person as a private person and a government employee, he said. 

“Now that she is an assistant secretary, I told her she needs to hire editors for her (blog) page,” he said.

Pressed on how Uson could be held accountable for her posts, Andanar said everybody could be held accountable. 

He said that every citizen enjoys the right to freedom of expression, which is protected under the Constitution.

“We are accountable to our bosses, our organizations and we are also accountable to ourselves. When a libel case is filed against you, our accountability is put to task,” Andanar said.

“Mocha, like other public figures, maintains a Facebook page. We have to strike a balance because freedom of expression is also part of the Constitution. It is a sacred line in the Constitution,” Andanar said.