MANILA — On Friday, the Presidential Communications Office praised the arrest and filing of charges against former broadcaster Jay Sonza for allegedly disseminating false information on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s health.

Sonza was arrested on Thursday night after being accused of breaching Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, in connection with the Cybercrime Prevention Act, by disseminating a false medical bulletin regarding the President, according to National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag.

In a statement, PCO Acting Secretary Dave Gomez praised the NBI’s “prompt action” and stated, “It shows the government’s continuing effort to guard the truth, protect the public from deception, and preserve a free but responsible democratic space.”

According to Gomez, this demonstrated the administration’s stern and legal response to alleged online abuse, particularly in cases when fraudulent information is produced and disseminated as authentic news.

Gomez continued, “With our Oplan Kontra Fake News, the PCO is sending a strong warning to peddlers of fake news. Misinformation undermines public trust, endangers lives, and will be met with swift, lawful consequences.”

Recently, the office and the Department of Justice and the Department of Information and Communication Technology inked a memorandum of agreement to fight deepfakes and misleading information and to hold those who spread them accountable.

“Continue to work with law enforcement, the media, and responsible online platforms to identify, investigate, and prosecute those who disseminate falsehoods,” the PCO official pledged.

According to Gomez, “public discourse must remain free, but it must also be truthful, fair, and orderly. Speak freely, but not falsely.”

According to him, the Justice Department has already received a number of false news cases for NBI investigation and court prosecution.

Gomez personally filed complaints in April against the owners of the Facebook page “Malasakit News Pilipinas,” which was accused of posting misleading information about a claimed energy lockdown during the nation’s energy crisis.