The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday urged netizens to maintain their trust in traditional media regarding reportage as the mainstream media knows how to vet facts compared unscrupulous social media channels and personalities.

On the sidelines of the Panata Kontra-Fake News Covenant signing at the GMA Network Center in Quezon City, Comelec Chairman George Garcia stressed mainstream media remained the trusted purveyor of news and information.

“Citizens and voters should rely only on reliable and strong media entities, which are the traditional or mainstream media. We must be extra careful with some social media because we cannot differentiate what’s real or not when it comes to the information that they disseminate,” Garcia said.

He pointed out that fake news peddlers are not just local but also coming from other countries who are trying to meddle in various issues in the country, especially the coming mid-term elections.

“Misinformation, disinformation, and fake news are not only being done domestically, it is now international. They want to influence our elections, particularly the candidates. When that happens, it is frightening as the voters are vulnerable to choosing the wrong and fake officials who have bad intentions for our nation,” he said.

Garcia said the poll body will release guidelines next week on how to regulate or prohibit the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfakes in the 2025 mid-term election process.

“These rules are vital to give candidates equal opportunities during the campaign, as well as to prevent the proliferation of fake news. The Comelec just wants a fair treatment because not all candidates have the means to campaign nationwide, especially those who are not well-off or belong to a huge party,” Garcia said.

Experts have warned that AI and deepfakes would play a bigger role in the campaign period for the 2025 midterm elections.

To avert this, the Comelec proposed the prohibition of AI technology and deepfakes in the electoral campaigns.

In July, the Comelec announced it would come up with a set of guidelines for the use of AI in the May 2025 elections.

Last month, Comelec launched a task force mandated to protect the May 2025 polls against AI-driven misinformation and disinformation through the monitoring and regulation of published content on quad-media such as TV, radio, print, and online.

TRIBUNE joins historic pact

DAILY TRIBUNE, with its mantra of Without Fear, Without Favor, proudly took part in the Panata Kontra-Fake News Covenant signing, which was held during the celebration of National Press Freedom Day.

DAILY TRIBUNE president Willie Fernandez joined executives of other major Philippine media organizations, social media platforms, and academic institutions that convened for the signing, pledging a unified and unwavering commitment to fighting fake news and disinformation.

For his part, GMA Network CEO Felipe L. Gozon said disinformation is as old as communication that evolved from inscriptions and stones, but fake news only became pervasive in 2016.

“Not a day goes by without false information spreading like wildfire in an ecosystem where checks and balances are outpaced by distortion, deception, and speed. Panata Kontra Fake News is a continuation of a longstanding crusade to safeguard the integrity of discourse. It needs a massive undertaking to fight,” he said in his speech.