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Veteran journalist says Duterte is top purveyor of 'fake news'; Andanar reacts

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/news/01/30/20180130-fakenews-senate-hearing-md2-0398.jpg"/><figcaption>Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar makes a point during the second Senate hearing on &#x27;fake news&#x27; in Pasay City on Tuesday. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Veteran journalist Ellen Tordesillas said &quot;fake news&quot; in the country is primarily spread by no less that President Rodrigo Duterte.</p><p>Speaking during Tuesday&#x27;s Senate hearing on fake news, Tordesillas lamented how misinformation is spread using taxpayers&#x27; money.</p><p>&quot;Fake lies are concocted to deceive the public. They confuse the public, disempower them from making informed decisions,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;And the worrisome part of this is that most of the sources of disinformation is being perpetuated by government officials on taxpayers&#x27; money. And the number 1 source of fake news is President Duterte himself,&quot; Tordesillas added.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><div id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_1_Container"> <ivs-player id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_1" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-vid="1440321" data-ivs-floating="1"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/iframe-parent.js"></script> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script> </div></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="~//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="~//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>According to Tordesillas, news organization <a href="http://verafiles.org">Vera Files</a> has a fact-check project, and Duterte &quot;keeps them busy.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Vera Files has a <a href="http://verafiles.org/specials/fact-check">fact-check project</a>. We track falsehood being spewed out by public personalities, and I tell you, President Duterte keeps us busy. In just one speech, sometimes, he would say more than one falsehood,&quot; she said, citing the conflicting data on the government&#x27;s war on drugs as an example. </p><p>&quot;Social media is a vehicle, and the problem about that is that most of the inaccurate data that he has are bases of [executive] policies,&quot; Tordesillas added.</p><p>For Tordesillas, misinformation can only be prevented with truth.</p><p>&quot;The best antidote to fake news is truth. Ang kalaban ng kasinungalingan ay katotohanan,&quot; she said.</p><p>Reacting to Tordesillas&#x27; statements, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar defended President Duterte by pointing to the latter&#x27;s support for freedom of information. </p><p>&quot;I respect Ma&#x27;am Ellen as a journalist pero pag sinabi niya po na si Presidente &#x27;yung source ng falsehood, na-generalize masyado &#x27;yung inyong sinasabi. Hindi rin naman din ako papayag na ganun ganun lang,&quot; he said.</p><p>Andanar then invited Tordesillas to join the government&#x27;s communications initiative and express her opinions.</p><p>&quot;Meron po kaming programa, &#x27;yung PCONET, ito po yung Provincial Communications Officers Network, and they&#x27;ve been going around the country, and if you&#x27;re free to join us, there&#x27;s only one way to find out. Join us, and not necessarily believe in what we do, but join the caravan and we can have opposing opinions, that&#x27;s our job,&quot; he added.</p><p>Andanar noted that only President Duterte managed to sign an executive order on Freedom of Information covering the executive branch.</p><p>&quot;Number 3, siguro naman ito&#x27;y malinaw sa mga kababayan natin na itong administrasyon lamang na ito ang nakapag-pirma, nakapagpasa ng Freedom of Information under an executive order,&quot; he explained.</p><p>Senator Grace Poe, in response, said Duterte&#x27;s FOI order has not been effective in making governance more transparent.</p>

<p>Veteran journalist Ellen Tordesillas said "fake news" in the country is primarily spread by no less that President Rodrigo Duterte.</p>

Veteran journalist Ellen Tordesillas said "fake news" in the country is primarily spread by no less that President Rodrigo Duterte.