DAGUPAN CITY -- The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) is readying its position on Facebook’s third-party fact-checking partnership with media entities Vera Files and Rappler, which it will present in a meeting called for by the social network giant, said Secretary Martin Andanar on Thursday here.
Andanar said he has ordered PCOO Undersecretary Lorraine Marie Tablang Badoy to prepare the position of the government on their fact-checking partnership.
“We definitely have a position and we will tell it to everyone after we discussed it with Facebook,” he said during the Tongtongan forum, noting the meeting with Facebook would be held in the Philippines although the date is yet to be finalized.
Andanar said Facebook reached out to him and asked for a meeting after the PCOO released its statement pertaining to the partnership.
The PCOO has lauded Facebook’s fact-checking initiative, but protested the choice of fact-checkers, referring to Rappler and Vera Files.
“Although, many of President Rodrigo Duterte’s supporters protested, I have to act and decide with circumspect, I have to be careful,” Andanar said.(PNA)
