THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced it is eyeing to create another task force, this time, to combat “fake news.”
In an online forum last Sunday, Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said the proposed task force will focus on monitoring election-related false information, which are circulating online. According to the University of Washington Bothell & Cascadia College, “fake news” is the “purposefully crafted, sensational, emotionally charged, misleading or totally fabricated information that mimics the form of mainstream news.”
“I will personally try to convince the Commission en banc next week to create a task force to combat fake news,” Garcia said.
He noted the task force will play a crucial role to ensure only credible information related to the 2022 polls will reach voters.
“We have to fight back at anything that would undermine the integrity of the [election] process,” Garcia said.
Last week, the Comelec announced its newly-formed task force, which will look into reports of vote buying.
Led by Comelec Commissioner Aimee P. Ferolino, the task force will be composed by members from the Department of Justice, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine Information Agency, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Garcia said Ferolino will come out with the guidelines for the operation of the new task force.