Proposed fake news law won’t get past me, says Duterte

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said a proposed law against fake news wouldn’t get pass him because it would a form of censorship, which is against freedom of expression.

“Nakinig ako kanina [I heard earlier] that they would craft a law to set a standard. Ah patay. That’s censorship,” he said on Wednesday, after his meeting with parents of hazing victim Horacio Tomas Castillo III in Malacañang.

The President was referring to a hearing on fake news conducted by the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, which was attended by government officials, bloggers, and journalists.

“Di lulusot ’yan,” Duterte added.

[That won’t pass.]

“Freedom of expression would be constitutional. I am sure they cannot pass a law against fake news,” he said.

He explained that people tend to doubt anybody writing his opinion. People, he said, would ultimately come up with their own opinion.

Instead of passing a law against fake news, the chief executive suggested an increase penalties for libel and slander.

“Kung gusto mo, pass a law increasing penalty,” he said. “Tutal you have slander, you have libel – civil case. But to prescribe a set of rules, what is proper or not, hindi lulusot ’yun. Patay ’yan pagdating sa akin.”

[If you want, pass a law increasing penalty. After all, you have slander, you have libel – a civil case. But to prescribe a set of rules, what is proper or not, that won’t get through. That’s dead when it reaches me.]