The House of Representatives adopted Committee Report 1498 of the Tri-Comm calling for new legislation that would penalize the creators, funders and disseminators of fake news, coordinated disinformation, and troll farm operations that threaten public order, democratic stability and national sovereignty.
“The Tri-Comm was never about silencing dissent. It is about stopping deliberate digital deception – often paid for, often anonymous, and often dangerous,” said Information and Communications Technology Committee Vice Chairman Johnny Pimentel during his sponsorship speech on the floor.
The report proposes a sweeping overhaul of the country’s cyber governance policies through amendments to the Cybercrime Prevention Act and new laws addressing platform accountability, content moderation and foreign-funded propaganda.
One of the report’s centerpiece recommendations is the passage of a law that defines and penalizes disinformation and malinformation, particularly when used in electoral manipulation and state-sponsored interference.
A new legal framework would also criminalize the establishment and financing of troll farms, while mandating the registration of foreign-based social media platforms and obliging them to comply with content takedown, correction and blocking orders issued by Philippine authorities.
Social media platforms would also be required to open local offices and store data for evidentiary and investigative purposes.
The committee cited the rise of foreign-backed campaigns, particularly those linked to Chinese interests, which have pushed narratives hostile to Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea while promoting specific political figures domestically.
In his speech, Public Order and Safety Committee Chairman Dan Fernandez pointed to InfinitUs Marketing Solutions, Inc. as a case of suspected foreign disinformation operations.
“This matter warrants further and immediate investigation due to its potential implications on national security,” he said.
The report also recommended the creation of a Digital Council of the Philippines, envisioned as a regulatory or self-regulatory body similar to the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP).
The council would accredit influencers and content marketers, set ethical standards, oversee content moderation and lead public education campaigns on digital literacy.
To address online threats powered by artificial intelligence, the Tri-Comm proposed legislation to regulate AI developers and deployers, especially those linked to deepfake production, algorithmic manipulation and automated phishing.
The proposed law would also introduce ethical standards and accountability mechanisms, while promoting indigenous AI development to reduce dependency on foreign technologies.
The findings also urged Congress to strengthen the tax monitoring capabilities of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
According to the committee, many influencers profiting from disinformation evade taxes because platform-held income data remains inaccessible due to a lack of cross-border data-sharing agreements.
The panel pushed for stronger compliance mechanisms and legal requirements for platforms to disclose earnings generated from Philippine-based users and advertisers.
The Tri-Comm further proposed revisiting the Data Privacy Act to align with global standards on AI-driven data processing and redress, and to ensure user protection amid evolving cyber threats.
This includes ensuring consent protocols and accountability for misuse of personal information by content creators and platforms.
Platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and YouTube were heavily scrutinized during the hearings for failing to moderate harmful content or cooperate fully with government regulators.
Committee members flagged their lack of legal presence in the country as a major obstacle to real-time enforcement.
Public Information Committee Chairman Jose Aquino II, another co-chair of the Tri-Comm, said the House’s action on the report is critical to defend Philippine democracy.
“Without urgent legal, institutional and technological reforms, the country will remain vulnerable to digital manipulation, misinformation-driven polarization, and weakened state authority in the online space,” he said.
The report also pushed for the institutionalization of media and information literacy in the country’s educational curriculum. The committee believes that digital citizenship and critical thinking must be taught from a young age to inoculate future generations from online manipulation.
The Tri-Comm urged the House to transmit the report to relevant agencies such as the DICT, DOJ, BIR, NBI and NTC for immediate implementation and coordination.
The panel expressed confidence that the proposals will form the foundation of new laws to curb digital deception and reinforce accountability in the information ecosystem.
