Manila: Voting 286-3 with seven abstentions, the House of Representatives on Wednesday evening approved on third and final reading a priority bill seeking to protect Filipinos from deliberate online deception, organized disinformation campaigns, and digital operations that threaten public safety, national security, and democratic institutions.
According to Philippines News Agency, the bill, listed as one of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council's (LEDAC) priority measures, is known as House Bill (HB) No. 9465, or the proposed Digital Media Anti-False Information Act. It imposes penalties ranging from six to 12 years imprisonment and fines of PHP500,000 to PHP2 million against individuals found guilty of knowingly and deliberately creating, financing, directing, or materially assisting false information intended to cause verifiable public harm or pose a serious threat to national security.
One of the central features of the measure is its focus on coordinated digital manipulation operations, including troll farms, bot networks, fake account networks, and other organized efforts aimed at distorting public discourse through deception. The bill also addresses synthetic or manipulated content, including AI-generated images, videos, and audio that are deliberately presented as genuine without proper disclosure, used to cause public harm or threaten national security.
The proposed measure targets covert foreign influence operations that secretly disseminate false information on behalf of foreign entities, posing risks to national security. Additionally, it prohibits impersonation of government agencies, election authorities, emergency responders, and media organizations for spreading harmful false information.
To strengthen accountability among digital platforms, the bill mandates companies operating in the Philippines to maintain a legal entity or permanent representative office in the country. These companies must establish systems for receiving complaints, publish transparency reports, and provide mechanisms for appeal and redress. Very large online platforms are required to conduct risk assessments, implement mitigation measures, undergo independent audits, and cooperate with vetted researchers studying the spread of harmful disinformation.
Under the bill, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will integrate media and digital literacy into educational curricula. Government agencies will be required to maintain open-data mechanisms and promptly correct inaccurate public statements.
House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander 'Sandro' Marcos stated that the approval of HB 9465 reflects the House's determination under the leadership of Speaker Faustino 'Bojie' Dy III to confront the growing harm caused by organized disinformation while preserving constitutional freedoms enjoyed by Filipinos. Marcos emphasized that the bill targets those who intentionally profit from lies, manipulate public opinion, and cause confusion that harms communities and families.
Marcos clarified that the proposal was crafted to target intentional deception rather than legitimate debate, criticism, or political disagreement, which remain protected under the Constitution. Speaker Dy stressed that the proposal was carefully crafted to protect constitutional freedoms and does not punish criticism, dissent, political opposition, journalism, or honest mistakes. Instead, it targets deliberate and coordinated efforts to deceive the public and inflict harm, ensuring technology is not abused to undermine informed decision-making, accountable governance, and a healthy democracy.
