Press Release
MANILA – Remain professional and loyal to the country, former national police chief and senator Panfilo Lacson advised the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) amid reported calls for partisan activity following the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
In a news release Saturday, he said the PNP and AFP should double-check such calls, especially those made through social media because of the proliferation of fake news.
“They should remain professional and loyal to their duty. That is the best message,” he said in Filipino in an interview over DZRH.
“In this day and age of information technology, fake news spreads fast. And we know that is in their training to conduct fact-checking first. If there are reports of partisan activity, they should not get involved,” he added.
Lacson is seeking a Senate comeback under the administration-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas coalition.
He served in the AFP as a member of the Philippine Constabulary from 1971 to 1991 and headed the PNP from 1999 to 2001.
He said he is studying possible legislation to crack down on fake news, noting the current laws against cyberlibel may need more teeth.
“We must focus on penalizing the spread of fake news. This threatens our culture and contributes to the destruction of our good manners and right conduct,” he said. (PR)
