The Presidential Communications Office will not tolerate any form of misinformation, Communications Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil vowed on Wednesday.
Garafil gave the assurance during her confirmation hearing at the Commission on Appointments after Senator Risa Hontiveros asked her what her stand and plans were on fake news.
“We really abhor fake news. In fact, in the past several days, the PCO and members of the Office of the President have experienced numerous fake news. That’s why this is really one of the things we will fight against during my term as secretary of the PCO,” Garafil said.
In addition, she discussed the media literacy campaign the PCO will launch this year to help fight fake news.
The Commission on Appointments then approved the ad interim appointment of Garafil as PCO Secretary. The deliberations on her appointment went smoothly after only two panel members asked about her plans for the PCO.
Garafil said the PCO plans to involve social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube in its literacy initiative.
“As I mentioned earlier, we are currently conducting a study and we will launch our media literacy campaign within the year to educate the public on how to detect fake news,” she said.
‘Accrediting vloggers’
Garafil disclosed the PCO was still studying the accreditation of vloggers to be part of the Malacañang Press Corp.
“In time, after we finish a broad study about it, we will provide an answer with respect to that issue,” she said.
Garafil’s predecessor, former Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, had revealed the Palace was considering allowing vloggers to cover the President.
Prior to her stint as press secretary, Garafil served as chairperson of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
She was tapped by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to head the now-defunct Office of the Press Secretary in October last year.
In an interview with reporters before the CA hearing, Garafil vowed the PCO under her watch would always be transparent.
“We will always try to be truthful and transparent in all our articles, in all our efforts for the purpose of public dissemination and, of course, to serve our President,” she said.