Malacañang Communications Assistant Secretary Margaux “Mocha” Uson is very open to the idea of penalizing fake news peddlers.
Presidential Communications Office Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson welcomed the Senator Joel Villanueva's bill proposing jail time and fines for persons who maliciously spread inaccurate articles, or so-called fake news.
According to a report on "24 Oras", Uson said it was about time the peddlers of fake news are made answerable under the law.
"Maganda po yan nang magkaalaman kung sino talaga nagpapakalat ng fake news. Lalo na ngayon madami ang nagpapakalat ng walang basehan, bilang halimbawa na diyan ang isang online sorority blog," Uson said in a statement.
"Tulad ng maling numero ng napapatay sa droga at maling balita sa namtay sa evacuation center ng Marawi na sabila 59 daw pero ang totoo 19 lang. Sana mapatupad na yan nang makulong na ang dapat makulong," she added.
Senate Bill No. 1492 or the proposed Anti-Fake News Act seeks to penalize any person or entity who maliciously offers, publishes, distributes, circulates, and spreads false news or information in print, broadcast or online media.
False news is defined as information which either intend to cause panic, division, chaos, violence, and hate, or those which propagandizes to blacken or discredit someone’s reputation.
“The effect of fake news should not be taken lightly. Fake news creates impressions and beliefs based on false premises leading to division, misunderstanding and further exacerbating otherwise strenuous relations,” Villanueva said.
Under the bill, any person who will be proven guilty of the malicious creation and distribution of false news will face payment of a fine ranging from P100,000 to P5 million and imprisonment of from one to five years.
If the offender is a public official, he or she will be made to pay twice the said amount of fine, and serve twice the period of imprisonment. The said public official will also be disqualified from holding any public office for life.
http://ift.tt/2swS6DL
0 comments: