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The Weaponization of “Fake News” in the Service of Power

The fight against disinformation, when wielded by those in power, is rarely about truth. It is about control. The Philippine House of Representatives has positioned itself as the vanguard against fake news, yet its selectivity exposes the real objective. Will it summon GMA News to answer for its baseless claim that former President Rodrigo Duterte sought asylum in China? Will it demand accountability from those who spread misinformation that conveniently serves the ruling order? Or is the inquisition reserved only for critics of the Marcos Jr. administration?

The answer is self-evident. Fake news is not the real concern—dissent is. The state does not seek to dismantle disinformation; it seeks to monopolize it. The function of “fake news investigations” is not to correct falsehoods but to create a chilling effect, a warning to journalists, opposition figures, and ordinary citizens alike: speak against the regime, and you will be scrutinized, harassed, and possibly silenced.

This asymmetry in the enforcement of truth reveals a deeper pathology in Philippine governance. The ruling elite understands that control over information is control over perception, and control over perception is control over power. When a narrative emerges that threatens this control—be it electoral fraud allegations, corruption exposés, or critiques of governance—it is swiftly labeled as fake news, and its sources are dragged before congressional panels. But when a fabricated claim like Duterte seeking asylum in China surfaces, implicating an opposition figure, the machinery of outrage falls silent.

In this framework, “truth” is not an objective standard but a political weapon. The regime determines what is real and what is false, who is credible and who is suspect, who must answer for their words and who is granted impunity. This is not a fight against disinformation—it is the institutionalization of state propaganda, wrapped in the rhetoric of justice.

If the House truly sought to combat fake news, it would demand transparency and accountability from all sources of misinformation, including those aligned with the administration. But it will not. Because in a system designed to sustain power rather than uphold truth, investigations are not about facts—they are about silencing those who refuse to comply.

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