Media organizations on Tuesday expressed concern over the dangers posed by a proposed anti-fake news measure on freedom of expression and legitimate political opinions.
The teams raised their apprehension throughout a joint Senate listening to on Senate Bill 1296 filed by Senator Jinggoy Estrada and searching for to criminalize the unfold of disinformation on-line.
“We join the other resource persons in saying [that] although fake news is a problem, it might be better addressed with better media and information literacy,” mentioned Jonathan De Santos, chairman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.
“We could also look at Senator [Raffy] Tulfo’s point in reaching platforms to take down ‘yung disinformation and fake news, and also free wifi and internet access,” he added.
Asked by Senator Francis Tolentino if this meant leaving it as much as the social media outfits to scrub up their respective platforms, De Santos mentioned, “It might be better Mr. Chair, to put more pressure on them than the prospect of example, isang netizen or journalist, na makukulong siya o mape-penalize siya.”
“Parang mas mabigat kasi yung danger to free speech and freedom of expression sa ganu’n,” De Santos mentioned.
(It may be higher Mr. Chair, to place extra stress on them than the prospect of instance, a netizen or journalist, getting jailed or penalized.)
The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas expressed concern over the definitions.
“It should not be too broad to include prohibition of valid political opinions,” mentioned KBP common counsel and spokesman Rudolph Jularbal.
Jularbal mentioned the KBP was involved that the way in which the legislation was crafted would possibly impede free speech and expression.
“We recognize that there is a problem and we feel that there are other solutions, particularly in educating the public on how to deal and how to determine whether a news, an information is misinformation or disinformation,” Jularbal mentioned. —NB, GMA Integrated News
