Philippines: Government targets disinformation as impeachment probes examine confidential funds

The Philippine Presidential Communications Office (PCO) has requested the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate online pages and websites accused of spreading malicious disinformation and fraudulent government aid schemes. The PCO noted that some flagged accounts claimed to be satirical, but the agency maintains that satire does not provide legal protection against disseminating false information that misleads the public or uses unauthorized government insignia.

Separately, during Senate impeachment proceedings involving Vice President Sara Duterte, a state auditor testified that official notices of disallowance regarding confidential funds did not specifically address the use of aliases by payees. While hearings highlighted suspicious names on acknowledgment receipts, the Commission on Audit (COA) auditor stated that the audit was based on submitted documents and that current regulations are silent on the use of aliases in such receipts.