Lacson: Not sharing is simple way of stopping fake news

FILE: Former senator Panfilo Lacson. (Photo: Ping Lacson/Facebook)

By Wilnard Bacelonia, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – Former senator and Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidate Panfilo Lacson on Monday urged Filipino netizens to help curb the spread of fake news by simply refusing to share unverified information.

Speaking before the Elders of Valenzuela City (EVC), Lacson emphasized the importance of digital discernment, especially in an era when misinformation spreads rapidly across social media platforms, noting that it is a disservice to anyone who is the subject of the unverified information.

“Grabe ang fake news ngayon, kaya mag-ingat tayo, maging discerning tayo. Minsan kasi pag nakakabasa tayo, alam na nating fake (Fake news is a big problem now, so we must be careful and discerning. There are times when we read one and immediately know it’s fake),” he said.

Lacson shared his own experience as a victim of fake news shortly after entering the Senate in 2001, when he was accused of being a drug lord and a money launderer, among other damaging claims, which were later proven wrong.

To disprove the false reports, Lacson contacted the regional officer of the foreign bank named in the news stories, who confirmed that the lawmaker did not have such accounts.

While he acknowledges the lingering “residual effects” of the disinformation, Lacson said he holds no grudges.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. recently directed the Presidential Communications Office to intensify efforts against the spread of fake news, citing personal experiences of being “slightly affected” by misinformation.