Erwin Tulfo calls on IPU for concerted efforts versus fake news

SENATOR Erwin ‘Winong’ Tulfo called on legislators from all over the world for a concerted effort in the fight against fake news as head of the Philippine Senate’s delegation to the 151^ST Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) held in Geneva, Switzerland.

“We, in the Philippines, have seen how fake news and malicious online campaigns can erode public trust, distort democratic discourse, and even incite anger and violence,” said Tulfo during his speech.

“What begins as a false post or manipulated image can spread faster than facts, and the damage, once done, is often irreversible,” he added during the meeting of lawmakers from ASEAN countries, Korea, Japan, and China last October 19.

The effort he added, should take into consideration the importance of respecting and protecting freedom of speech in democratic countries.

“We must work together as parliamentarians to strengthen legal frameworks that hold accountable those who deliberately spread falsehoods, without endangering legitimate expression,” he stressed.

“Our task, therefore, is not to silence voices, but to safeguard truth; to ensure that the digital public square remains a place for informed dialogue, not deception.”

Tulfo is a seasoned journalist most of his life before being elected as a senator in the 2025 midterm polls.

In July, Tulfo filed Senate Bill 768, which seeks to penalize the generation and spread of fake news or information deliberately presented as factual content with the intent to mislead or deceive the audience.

Another is SB 1361, or the ‘People’s Freedom of Information Act’ that would help strengthen accountability in government and combat fake news in the Philippines.

The Philippine delegation is composed of Senator Raffy Tulfo, Senator Imee Marcos.

From Congress, the representatives include, Ferdinand Hernandez, Kristine Singson-Meehan, Ma. Georgina De Venecia, Maria Rachel Arenas, Faustino Michael Carlos Dy III, Brian Poe-Llamanzares, Jonathan Clement Abalos II and Florabel Yatco.

OFW Pension Fund

During a side trip to Rome, Italy, Tulfo also held meetings with the Filipino community after joining a multi-government, ‘OFW Serbisyo Caravan’ spearheaded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Tulfo is the first DSWD secretary of the Marcos administration.

The caravan was made more significant with the presence of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan, and other government officials.

“Our OFWs are hailed as modern-day heroes, but most of them do not receive the protection they deserve. Current government programs for our migrant workers should not be limited to legal assistance and medical aid; they should also ensure protection for their future once they retire,” Tulfo said.

“That’s why we are calling for the passage of a law that will provide a pension system for our OFWs so they can reap the rewards of the sacrifices they made for their families and loved ones,” he added.

Senate Bill 252, or the proposed OFW Pension Act, is among Tulfo’s Top 20 priority bills.

Filed on July 8, SBN 252 seeks to provide a P5,000 monthly pension for eligible OFWs, particularly those engaged in manual, skilled, or technical occupations.

Tulfo also took the time to visit a 50-year-old Filipina in Milan, Italy, who is currently in a vegetative state due to a road accident last October 4.

Tulfo, known for his concern for the marginalized and the afflicted, vowed to personally reach out to the family of the OFW.