Sources of fake news must be prosecuted – Palace

Bersamin lamented the spread of fake news on the digital highway and expressed the need for the government to take action. "It's not only the Philippines. It's the entire world that is suffering the brunt of the deceit that is derived from fake news. Those behind it must really be prosecuted," he said in a chance interview. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) earlier agreed to work together to track down Filipinos abroad who have been spreading false information online. The NBI sought the help of the Interpol in going through the legal issues, especially in countries where libel and cyber libel are treated as civil offenses and not criminal cases. NBI Director Jaime Mariano has launched an investigation on at least 20 online personalities suspected of being part of an organized move to peddle false information against the government and public officials. Bersamin said the Palace is giving the NBI a free hand in cracking down on fake news makers. "Those operations, we leave that to the people who are on the operating line. Because if we make announcements, then there is a variance from them. It's not easy to explain. We might be contradicting each other," he said.