WITH the proximity of the May 12, 2025 mid-term elections, a lawmaker from Mindanao today called on the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police to step up their vigilance and go after “fake news” vloggers who now work for and cash in for certain local politicians out to besmirch reputations of their rivals in the polls.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, lead chair of the Lower House’s Quad Committee and chair of the Dangerous Drugs panel, said fake news vloggers have also infiltrated the local political scene, hired by governors, congressmen and mayors to demolish their opponents in the social media.
“I urge the NBI, the PNP and other concerned agencies to go after, investigate and file charges, using men from their respective regional offices, against fake news vloggers being employed by local politicians to spread lies and disinformation against their opponents in the local level,” Barbers said.
“There is an emergence of local neophyte mercenary vloggers who are engaged in manipulating video interviews, setting their own news agenda and spreading fake and misleading fabricated online contents in the social media,” he added.
Barbers cited his own experience when local vloggers from Surigao del Norte fabricated a report purportedly emanating from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) linking him and his brother, Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers, to illegal drugs.
“That certain fake news from local vloggers were deliberately passed on, believed to be our political rivals, to Manila-based fake news vloggers who posted them in their respective social media accounts that became viral. They didn’t even bother to ask me or my brother on the veracity of said PDEA report which is clearly a demolition job against us,” he said.
The solon from Surigao del Norte has lauded NBI chief Jaime Santiago for his relentless investigations and filing of charges against known several vloggers, including former presidential spokesman Harry Roque and Claire Contreras, a.k.a, Maharlika for spreading the so-called “Polvoron” video of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The NBI also earlier filed charges of unlawful use of publication, violation of the Anti-Alias Law and inciting to sedition before the Department of Justice against four Filipino vloggers based in Saudi Arabia, Canada, United Kingdom and New Zealand for spreading false information on the issue of remittances by Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
On the part of the PNP, Barbers said the agency should also tap and mobilize their regional anti-cybercrime units to investigate and file charges against “local” fake news vloggers who have mushroomed in the local scene under the employ of certain local politicians using the social media to besmirch their opponents’
