LEADERS of the House of Representatives’ “Young Guns” have strongly condemned the emergence of an audio deepfake featuring President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., urging decisive action against misinformation threatening the nation’s integrity.

Assistant Majority Leaders Zia Alonto Adiong (Lanao del Sur), Paolo Ortega (La Union), and Jay Khonghun (Zambales) emphasized the importance of staying vigilant against misinformation and urged continuous alertness to combat false information.

Adiong described the audio deepfake as a “deceptive manipulation” even as he emphasized a zero-tolerance stance against attempts to undermine democracy and sway public opinion.

“This audio deepfake is not just a fabrication; it’s a dangerous attempt to manipulate public perception and incite unwarranted actions,” Adiong said.

“We cannot allow such malicious tactics to undermine the trust in our institutions,” he added.

Ortega echoed the sentiment, asserting that the dissemination of falsified content strikes at the heart of the country’s democratic principles.

“The spread of manipulated content threatens the very fabric of our democracy,” he pointed out.

“We must stand united in condemning these deceitful acts and demand accountability from those who seek to deceive the Filipino people,” Ortega said.

Meanwhile, Khonghun delivered a clarion call for action, urging immediate and decisive measures to address the escalating threat of digital manipulation.

Khonghun said, “We stand at a pivotal moment in our fight against digital manipulation. We must act decisively to safeguard the sanctity of truth and protect our democracy from those who seek to undermine it.”

The “Young Guns” members issued the statement following revelations by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) of the manipulated audio circulating on popular streaming platforms.

The fabricated clip, designed to mimic President Marcos purportedly issues directives to the Armed Forces of the Philippines—a claim vehemently refuted by the PCO.

Deepfakes, employing sophisticated Artificial Intelligence algorithms, pose a formidable challenge to media integrity.

The PCO, in coordination with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the National Security Council, and the National Cybersecurity Inter-Agency Committee is mobilizing resources to combat the scourge of digital deception.

The “Young Guns” expressed solidarity with the PCO and other concerned institutions in their efforts to combat fake news and disinformation.