OPS mulls creation of fact-checking team

The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) is planning the creation of a “fact-checking” team that aims to stop the spread of fake news on social media.

The idea was initially proposed during the House Appropriations Committee hearing on the proposed 2023 budget of the OPS on Friday when discussions shifted to the Marcos administration’s battle against misinformation and disinformation, according to press secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles in a Facebook post on Saturday.

“Inaayos at pinaplano na natin ang pagbuo ng unang fact-checking team ng Office of the Press Secretary para labanan ang pagpapakalat ng maling impormasyon at balita sa mga online platform (We are organizing and planning the establishment of the first fact-checking team of the Office of the Press Secretary to fight the dissemination of false information and news on online platforms),” she said.

Cruz-Angeles said that the government’s campaign against purveyors of fake news will be intensified by the OPS, the President’s principal communications agency.

To assure the transmission of correct and timely information, she said that her office presently has many teams in charge of publishing content to its official social media sites.

“Kaisa tayo ng Ehekutibo at ng Kongreso sa patuloy na kampanya kontra fake news at pagpapalaganap ng edukasyon upang labanan ito (We are one with the executive branch and Congress in the relentless campaign against fake news and raising public awareness to fight it),” Cruz-Angeles said.

Cruz-Angeles stated that her office needs adequate funding to ensure the prompt delivery of crucial information, carry out its mandate to design and implement the Office of the President’s information systems, and keep good relations with the mainstream media and other stakeholders during discussions on the proposed PHP473.1 million budget for OPS in 2023.

The Marcos administration has launched a “One Messaging Policy” in a bid to prevent disinformation, misinformation and malinformation.

Under the single messaging policy, government agencies under the Executive will have close collaboration to fight fake news.

Marcos earlier urged netizens to follow the official Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts of the OPS to keep them updated on the administration’s announcements and plans for the country.