Gordon warns vs surge of fake news, clickbait headlines

Senator Richard J. Gordon today warned against the continued dissemination of fake news and fake clickbait headlines designed to muddle and deflect the national attention from the corruption issues plaguing the Duterte administration.

Gordon made the call as he noted that he and other senators probing the alleged anomalous government procurement of medical supplies and equipment have been subjected to disinformation and patently false stories masquerading as news.

"Let's be more cautious against fake news and clickbait headlines populating our social media pages, most of them are patently false or rehashed issues thrown at us. Trust only those news stories from reputable mainstream media," he said.

"Some unscrupulous people and groups are really out to discredit and demolish us. These kinds of online stories will continue to bombard us as election campaign will be highly partisan and will rely heavily on social media for information," he added.

AFP news agency and Verafiles, an online fact-checking news organization, have flagged down pro-administration social media accounts on Facebook and Google (YouTube) where Gordon "folded and apologised to the President."

Rappler news website also reported another fake news that the Philippine Red Cross which Sen. Gordon chairs has turned its blood donation program into a money-making business to discourage people from donating blood.

Among these social media accounts they have flagged down include Trending Viral TH2, PH Breaking News, Inday Sara Para sa Masa, Unofficial Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa Solid Supporters, and Eagle eyes of the Philippines citizen-report.

While he is seriously taking action against the continued rise of online disinformation, Gordon maintained he will not relent on his resolve to run after corrupt officials and private individuals who stole from the nation's coffers.

"We are seriously investigating the barrage of disinformation, fake news and patently false or rehashed stories being spread online to attack us, especially those among pro-administration pages," he said.

"This includes clickbait headlines that deliberately and unscrupulously poison our minds with misleading and inaccurate information in order to muddle and deflect our attention from the corruption issues under this administration," he added.

Gordon, who also chairs the Senate Finance Committee G, said he expects the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) to take more decisive actions to shut down these social media accounts fomenting disinformation.

In the last hearing on PCCO proposed PhP2.09-billion budget for 2022, Gordon questioned PCOO for hiring 1,479 contractual employees whom he and other senators believe to be paid trolls being maintained by the government.