The Philippine government has secured Meta Platforms Inc.’s support for an expanded campaign against online disinformation, following a call from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for stronger safeguards against fake news.
DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the initiative, called “Oplan Bantay Katotohanan,” will be rolled out through a formal partnership with Meta, building on efforts first launched last year.
“We will have a joint statement in a press conference together with Meta. And I got the confirmation from them last night that they will support the initiative,” Aguda said in a television interview.
Under the expanded program, the public will be able to report suspected false information directly through government platforms. The effort is part of a broader interagency campaign to curb misleading content during a period of heightened public uncertainty.
Aguda said the initiative will involve coordination among the DICT, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the Department of Justice, and the Philippine National Police.
Meta confirmed its support on April 12, two days after receiving a government letter requesting additional safeguards against false content. The DICT’s move came amid concerns over disinformation tied to the fuel crisis and rumors about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s health.
Meta emphasized that its response followed due process, noting the importance of formal notification before platforms act on issues.
“You have to give everybody due process and part of due process is to give them notice and articulate what the problem is. Like, if there’s a problem, formally write them,” Meta said.
“The same goes for other platforms. The beauty of this is, kapag ako naman ang sumulat, within the time frame that I request a response, nagre-respond naman sila,” it added.
The partnership marks a strengthened front against disinformation, with government agencies and Meta pledging closer coordination to protect the public from false and misleading content.