The House of Representatives has officially passed House Bill No. 9465, or the proposed Digital Media Anti-False Information Act, on its third and final reading. A priority measure under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), the bill aims to suppress online falsehoods, organized disinformation campaigns, and digital actions that threaten public safety, national security, and democratic systems.
The chamber approved the bill during a Wednesday evening session with an overwhelming 286-3 vote, while seven lawmakers abstained.
Under the proposed law, individuals who deliberately create, finance, orchestrate, or facilitate the spread of false information that causes verifiable public harm or threatens national security face six to 12 years of imprisonment. Convicted violators may also face fines ranging from ₱500,000 to ₱2 million.
Key Targets and Provisions
The legislation outlines several specific areas of digital manipulation and platform accountability:
- Organized Manipulation: Targets troll farms, bot networks, and fake accounts used to deceptively influence public discourse.
- Synthetic Content: Addresses the malicious use of AI-generated deepfakes (images, videos, and audio) passed off as authentic material.
- Foreign Interference: Penalizes covert operations by foreign governments, intelligence groups, or foreign-backed entities that endanger national interests.
- Impersonation: Outlaws the spoofing of government bodies, media outlets, emergency units, and private citizens to spread harmful lies.
- Platform Accountability: Requires digital platforms in the Philippines to establish local legal entities, maintain complaint systems, issue transparency reports, undergo independent audits, and mitigate disinformation.
- Educational Initiatives: Mandates the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to integrate media and digital literacy into school curricula.
Upholding Free Speech and Democratic Debate
House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative Sandro Marcos, the author of the bill, clarified that the measure targets malicious intent rather than suppressing free speech or legitimate dissent.
“This bill is ultimately about protecting ordinary Filipinos from people who intentionally profit from lies, manipulate public opinion, and create confusion that causes real harm to communities and families. We want a digital space where truth still matters, where facts still matter, and where citizens can make decisions based on information they can trust,” Marcos stated.
“No Filipino should fear expressing an opinion, criticizing government, questioning public officials, or participating in democratic debate. What this bill goes after are those who knowingly weaponize falsehoods to deceive the public, destroy reputations, manipulate public behavior, and place lives, livelihoods, and institutions at risk,” he added.
Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III of Isabela echoed these sentiments, reassuring the public that the bill protects constitutional freedoms and journalistic independence.
“It does not punish criticism, dissent, political opposition, journalism, or honest mistakes. What it targets are deliberate and coordinated efforts to deceive the public and inflict harm,” Speaker Dy said.
“Truth remains the foundation of informed decision-making, accountable governance and a healthy democracy. This measure seeks to ensure that technology is not abused to undermine those foundations.”