Manila: The House Tri Committee (Tri Comm) inquiry on misinformation will identify ways to stop disinformation on social media and protect the rights of individuals to express themselves, a House leader said Monday. House Assistant Minority Leader and Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre stated that the inquiry on Tuesday will dig deeper into how Congress can address disinformation on social media.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Tri Comm, comprised of the Committees on Public Order and Safety, the Information and Communications Technology, and the Public Information, is intensifying its investigation into the spread of disinformation and fake news online. The aim is to craft legislative measures to address the proliferation of misinformation on social media platforms. Acidre emphasized that they are not targeting vloggers supportive of former President Rodrigo Duterte, but rather focusing on 'syndicated efforts to distort reality' on social media.

Acidre remarked, "It's not bad to express what you don't want about the government, but spreaders of misinformation have efforts to discredit the government. We are against people using this online platform to destroy the government." He assured that the inquiry will balance the need to curb misinformation while upholding the right to free expression.

Meanwhile, Acidre expressed confidence that the proliferation of misinformation this election season will not affect voters' decisions in choosing the right candidates. He stated, "I think the people will make a difference in choosing leaders. I think their primary consideration is who among the candidates helped their families and that is based on personal experience."