MANILA — Do not engage in misinformation and always tell the truth to the public.
This was the marching orders of AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año to all military information officers during the recently concluded 6th Public Affairs Office (PAO) Summit.
“I strongly urge our public affairs practitioners to continue to tell the truth. Refuse to be dragged into the trend of disinformation and deliberate sowing of confusion,” he added in a statement Sunday.
Año also urged all military information officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force not to feed the hatred, and instead “exhaust efforts to present facts, value respect, and appreciate criticisms in the AFP’s quest for an informed public and an elevated discourse.”
The PAO Summit is an annual gathering of AFP spokespersons and public affairs officers assigned to different military units, including the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Navy, and the AFP Area Commands.
It featured subject-matter experts on social media, cybersecurity, military-media dynamics, and crisis communication.