The Philippine Information Agency (PIA), alongside various member of law enforcement, including the military, recently held a discussion on  social media and the responsible sharing of information at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

The talk was part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Civil-Military Operations School social media product development and management training class.

PIA Director-General Harold Clavite discussed how the use of social media contributes to the rise of fake news and has also become a vehicle for recruitment by terror groups.

He took note of Facebook’s role during the conflict in Marawi City, where the Islamic State-backed Maute terror group left the city devastated last year following armed conflict with government forces, and said both domestic and international terror groups have used the situation to “indoctrinate and enjoin people, especially the youth.”

Clavite also mentioned the Philippines came in second place among countries whose residents spend the most time online and offered tips on how to identify “fake news.”

“The public has now become content creators themselves rather than merely receivers of information through traditional media,” he stressed.

Also present for the event were personnel from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Philippine National Police, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority./WDJ