Roque defends freedom of the press, expression
UNITEAM senatorial candidate Harry Roque has said that Filipinos must be vocal about their opinions as freedom of press and expression should not be suppressed.
Roque stressed that there should be no law abridging the freedom of expression and the press.
“Hayaan mong ang taong-bayan ang mag-decide kung ano ang fake news pero hindi mo puwedeng supilin ang malayang pamamahayag, malayang pananalita,” he said in an interview with Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
“Hindi dapat pagbawalan ang sinuman na ipahayag ang kanyang saloobin at opinyon tungkol sa iba’t ibang isyu. May kalayaan po tayong magpahayag at magsalita,” he added.
A human rights lawyer, Roque said that some companies earn from disseminating false information. He said that fake news is being used to deceive people.
“Naiisip ko merong mga kumpanya na kumikita dahil sa pag disseminate ng impormasyon. Sila naman dapat ang may responsibilidad na siguraduhin na ang kanilang medium ay hindi ginagamit para sa panlilinlang,” Roque said.
According to a February 2022 survey of Social Weather Stations (SWS), 70 percent of Filipinos believe that the problem of fake news and its spread on the internet is serious.
If elected to the Senate, Roque said he would file a bill holding the intermediaries liable for the spread of disinformation.
“Ang naiisip kong batas ay para sa mga intermediaries dahil limpak limpak ang kinikita ng mga ito. Bakit wala kayong sistema para maiwasan ng fake news?” He asked.
“Iyan ang pinag-aaralan ko – holding the intermediaries liable – pero you cannot suppress freedom of expression and freedom of the press,” he said.
