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 asymm...