Allies of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the House of Representatives on Friday vehemently condemned a viral deepfake video designed to manipulate the public on issues concerning the hotly-contested West Philippine Sea.
Malacañang has disowned the fabricated clip, which made it appear that Marcos had 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 disputed waterway.
Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong expressed concern the deepfake video 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 said.
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 democracy.
“We must stand united in condemning these deceitful acts and demand accountability from those who seek to deceive the Filipino people,” Ortega said.
Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun 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 truth and protect our democracy from those who seek to undermine it,” Khonghun said.
On Thursday, Speaker Martin Romualdez called on the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) to remain steadfast and intensify its efforts to combat all types of fake news and the scourge of digital deception in light of concerns that undermine public trust in government institutions.
Malacañang has assured that the altered content circulating online using the President’s face and voice has been taken down and that it has ordered the agencies concerned to investigate the matter.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, meanwhile, ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to launch a swift and comprehensive probe, warning that legal sanctions await anyone found to be involved in the propagation of the deepfake video.
