Allies of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the House of Representatives on Friday vehemently condemned a viral deep fake video designed to manipulate the public about issues concerning the hotly contested West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Malacañang has already disowned the fabricated clip, which made it appear that Marcos ordered the military and the special task force to act against China, which has been embroiled in a geopolitical dispute with the Philippines over the contested waterway.
Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong expressed concern that the audio deepfake is "not just a fabrication [but] it's a dangerous attempt to manipulate public perception and incite unwarranted actions."
"We cannot allow such malicious tactics to undermine the trust in our institutions," he stressed.
In the same vein, La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega said the spread of false and manipulated content poses a formidable threat to the very fabric of the country's democratic policies.
"We must stand united in condemning these deceitful acts and demand accountability from those who seek to deceive the Filipino people," Ortega said.
Meanwhile, Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun urgently called for prompt and decisive action to quell the dissemination of such misinformation, which he deemed a "digital manipulation."
"We stand at a pivotal moment in our fight against digital manipulation. We must act decisively to safeguard the sanctity of truth and protect our democracy from those who seek to undermine it," Khonghun remarked.
On late Thursday, Speaker Martin Romualdez called on the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas to remain steadfast and further intensified its effort to combat all types of fake news and the scourge of digital deception in light of concerns that continue to undermine public trust in government institutions.
Malacañang, meanwhile, has assured that the altered content circulating online using Marcos' face and voice has since been taken down and that it also ordered the concerned agencies to swiftly investigate the issue.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla also directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to launch a swift and comprehensive probe into the matter, warning that legal sanctions await anyone found to be involved in the propagation of the video deepfake.
