Valenzuela City: Former senator and Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidate Panfilo Lacson on Monday urged Filipino netizens to help curb the spread of fake news by simply refusing to share unverified information. Speaking before the Elders of Valenzuela City (EVC), Lacson emphasized the importance of digital discernment, especially in an era when misinformation spreads rapidly across social media platforms, noting that it is a disservice to anyone who is the subject of the unverified information.

According to Philippines News Agency, Lacson highlighted the seriousness of the issue, urging people to be cautious and discerning when encountering news that may seem suspect. He shared his personal experiences as a victim of fake news, recounting incidents from shortly after his entry into the Senate in 2001 when he was falsely accused of being a drug lord and a money launderer. These damaging claims were later disproven.

To clear his name, Lacson reached out to the regional officer of the foreign bank mentioned in the false reports, who confirmed that he did not hold any accounts there. While he acknowledges the lingering "residual effects" of the disinformation, Lacson stated that he bears no grudges.

The issue of fake news has also caught the attention of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who recently directed the Presidential Communications Office to intensify efforts against the spread of misinformation, noting his own experiences of being "slightly affected" by such false information.