Manila: Malaca±ang on Wednesday announced that the government is contemplating the regulation of social media posts due to the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation, following the arrest and surrender of former president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

According to Philippines News Agency, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro explained during a Palace briefing that discussions are ongoing regarding the potential introduction of new guidelines for this measure. When asked about the development of new policies to regulate social media usage, Castro confirmed, “Yes, that’s what we’re talking about now.”

Castro highlighted that even the Supreme Court has fallen victim to fake news. This follows the circulation of social media posts containing false claims about the court’s issuance of a temporary restraining order on Duterte’s arrest and a petition seeking the resignation of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. She emphasized that tackling this issue requires a ‘whole-of-nation-approach,’ as the government alone cannot address the spread of fake news.

“It’s not just the government that will fix this. We all have to work together so that we can prevent, we can eliminate all fake news,” Castro stated. She further remarked on the necessity for cooperation from both social media platforms and mainstream media to effectively curb the spread of such misinformation.

Additionally, Castro mentioned that the PCO is collaborating with the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police to investigate those responsible for disseminating fake news.