MANILA — Senator Rodante D. Marcoleta called on social media giant Meta to act more quickly on complaints about fake news to curb the spread of disinformation online.

Citing his own experiences, Marcoleta lamented the slow and inconsistent process for reporting and removing misleading content on Facebook.

He also urged Rappler and Vera Files, Meta’s designated fact-checkers in the Philippines, to respond more effectively to user complaints.

“Alam naman po ninyong hindi totoo. Kaya tama po yung sinasabi. Dapat objective yung fact-checkers, yung walang kinikilingan, hindi namumulitika,” Marcoleta said.

“Bakit kinakailangang kami ang gagawa ng paraan, magsikap kami sa sarili namin para ma-takedown lang ito? Sapagkat hindi lang nakakainis, nakakasira po talaga,” he added.

Marcoleta noted four recent fake news posts targeting him, two of which he successfully had removed himself. A third post was only “demoted” through Meta’s fact-checking system, reducing its visibility but not fully removing it.

Senator Robin Padilla, chair of the committee, agreed with Marcoleta, emphasizing the importance of immediately taking down fake news posts before they go viral and mislead the public.

Ellen Tordesillas, president of Vera Files, said her organization cannot monitor all fake news posts on Facebook and highlighted that users share the responsibility of reporting misleading content.

“Alam n’yo yung ginawa ni Senator Marcoleta, maganda yun. Ganun talaga dapat ang gawin ng bawat tao, Kaya dapat mas marami pa ang katulad ni Senator Marcoleta, na siya na mismo ang nagfa-fact check. Trabaho kasi dapat yan ng lahat ng gumagamit ng social media,” Tordesillas said.

Gemma Mendoza, Rappler’s lead researcher on disinformation, called for greater transparency in Meta’s system to allow third parties, beyond designated fact-checkers, to access data on reported fake news and recommend actions.

“Isa po sa mga sinasuggest nga namin yung transparency. The platforms need to be compelled to share data that would make it possible for third parties, hindi lang po yung mga fact-checkers but also other third parties to audit what is being amplified within these platforms,” Mendoza told the committee.

No Meta representatives attended the hearing. To compel the tech company’s appearance, Marcoleta moved to subpoena Meta in the committee’s next session, a motion approved by Senator Padilla.