143619

The arrival of fake news in Philippine social media is not something that took me by
surprise. With all the craziness and utter deterioration of human dignity occurring in the
Philippines, the spreading of false information via the internet was the least of my worries as
a student. My thought process was that there were more urgent and serious things happening
in my country that demanded my attention and that fake news would be something that would
be easily distinguishable from the real ones that it was an issue just waiting to be resolved.
This was before I knew any better and now that I am more educated and well-informed about
the true repercussions of fake news and its effect on the minds of the people, I knew that it
was a real issue that, unlike the EJKs and the rampant abuse of power in the government, I
can take action against as a user of the mediums where these fake news are spread into. It is
an issue that, I know, I had a moral obligation to try and solve as information in today’s day
and age could easily take over the internet and control the minds of the people who read it
and lack information of what truly is happening. As a student in a university that is
progressively getting more politically engaged and aware of the current events, in and out of
the Philippines, I know that I have to make a stand against such belittling of the minds of the
Filipino people.
Watts (2017) said that there are actually 5 types of fake news and each could have a
different effect depending on the context of how they are shared and who received the fake
information. The first type of fake news is a satire or parody which involves the publishing of
fake news as humorous attempts to satirise the media. This type of fake news are often just
treated as a joke and are not taken seriously, but there are cases where it has the potential to
fool when shared out of context. The second type of fake news is misleading news that is sort
of true but used in the wrong context. This type of fake news are selectively chosen real facts,
but tend to be a misinterpretation of scientific research. The third type of fake news is sloppy
reporting that fits an agenda. This type of fakes news are news that contain some grains of
truth, but are not actually fully verified and are used to support a position or view in favor of
the sharer. The fourth type of fake news is misleading news that is not based on facts, but
supports an on-going narrative. These are news where there is no established baseline for
truth and are often made filled with biases. A great example of this type of fake news are
conspiracy theories. The fifth and the most applicable type of fake news in our current
situation is the fake news that are intentionally deceptive. These fake news are fabricated
deliberately to cause confusion or as sensationalist propaganda.
The rise of Asec. Mocha Uson and her infamous spreading of fake news has caused
great confusion within the online community. Mocha often denies the existence of fake news,
saying that they are either real, but taken out of context or are simple misinterpretations on
the side of the sharer or the viewer. Such blatant claims can be easily made by anyone and are
just reasons for them to continue spreading said “real news”. Although they can be true in the
slightest bit, Asec. Mocha Uson has been exposed in press releases that what she is sharing is
actually and purposefully made to cause confusion or make the current administration look
more attractive in the eyes of the deceived many. By either purposefully looking for what is
real and twisting it to serve the political agenda of the maker of fake news or blatantly
spreading misleading information for the main purpose of causing confusion and incite
clashing opinions between the informed and the misinformed, Asec. Mocha Uson has stated
the accusations have no solid foundation and she is the one who is actually the victim of fake
news. Such an ironic statement made by a deceptive “government official” should be taken
with a grain of salt as who knows what lies could come from the mouth of an individual that
purposefully and continuously deceive the minds of the people she is accusing of the same
crime.
 Speaking of Mocha Uson being a government official, it is also worth noting that I am
adamant in my stand against Asec. Mocha Uson being both a blogger and a government
official. Being a government official means serving the people as objectively as possible,
removing any possible biases in one’s decision and only making use of one’s position as to
the extent and scope of said position. It should not reach whatever it is not designed to reach
and the holder of the position should stick to whatever is assigned to said position. A blogger,
on the other hand, lies on the other end of the political spectrum. By definition a blog is “a
personal website or web page on which an individual records opinions, links to other sites,
etc. on a regular basis.” What sticks out in the definition are the words “personal” and
“opinions”. Blogs are made to convey the sentiments, feelings, thoughts, and views of a
certain person. It is purely subjective and are often rid of the objective truth. It focuses,
primarily, on the individual sharing his/her opinion and secondarily, on the actual information
being shared. When Asec. Mocha Uson was confronted by Senator Trillanes about her post
regarding the supposed offshore accounts and was consequently filed criminal and
administrative complaints regarding the issue, Mocha states that she, herself, was a victim of
fake news and what she is sharing in her blog is proper as she acknowledges that she is
entitled to her own opinion and she was exercising her right to freedom of expression.
Senator Trillanes berated Asec. Mocha Uson about this statement of hers saying that she
should not own a blog as she is now a government official, whose job is to only give out the
truth to the people and not her own opinions regarding issues. I share the same sentiments
with Senator Trillanes as being a blogger and, at the same time, a government official should
never be possible or should at least be regulated through another person responsible for
reviewing what will be posted before it is actually posted. By choosing to carry the
responsibility of Assistant Secretary in charge of social media for PCOO, Mocha Uson
directly ceases her right to hand out her opinion to the public as if it were the actual truth.
That is because the public sees whatever the government feeds them to be the ACTUAL truth
and not something made as an opinion. The claim of Mocha Uson that she is just exercising
her right to freedom of expression is untenable as the nature of her job calls it not to be that
way. If she wanted to express her own opinion on certain matters, she should explicitly state
that it was her own opinion and be done on her own blog and not on the official government’s
medium of communication to the public. By doing she is essentially claiming that the
government shares the same belief to whatever she states there and such is just not the case as
even the PCOO sought to distance itself from the contents of the blog of Uson and PCOO
Undersecretary Marie Banaag even told the Senate panel that PCOO is not associated with
Uson’s post.
Natoli (2016) said “What is fake is not a subjective determination but rather a
subjectivity detached from and undetermined by a “worlding” in which we are all invested is
a fake story.” Claims of the impossibility of knowing what is objectively true and therefore
opting for our own gut feeling is what makes this issue such a pressing one. Indeed, the false
information can lead to massive confusion and hysteria within the online community, but I
believe there is an underlying issue being created aside from the fake news itself. It is that
people are beginning to believe that the objective world we could all rationally determine has
gone and disappeared and what we now feel can actually be taken as the real and objective
truth. The misdeeds of Asec. Mocha Uson promotes such misconception and that is what
makes this issue such a relevant one in today’s society where information could spread so
easily. By knowing that there is actual truth and not relying on mere gut feelings do we
people know better and start to search for what is actually right rather than believe on what
other people think is right. This philosophical take on a political issue is an Atenean take on
what I believe dissolves the imaginary line between the upper and lower classes and which
calls for a unifying movement across the two sectors as one group that values the truth.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
5 Types Of 'Fake News' And Why They Matter. (2017, April 25). Retrieved October 16,
2017, from http://www.ogilvy.com/topics/topics-pr/5-types-of-fake-news-and-why-they-
matter-to-brands/
Natoli, J. (2016, December 08). Fake News is Subjective? Retrieved October 16, 2017, from
https://www.counterpunch.org/2016/12/09/fake-news-is-subjective/
Elemia, C. (2017, October 04). Asec or blogger? Choose only one, Nancy Binay tells Mocha
Uson. Retrieved October 16, 2017, from https://www.rappler.com/nation/184264-nancy-
binay-choose-mocha-uson-blogger-asec
Evans, K. (2017, March 20). What is a Blog: Blogging Basics (9 Pro Blogger Definitions).
Retrieved October 16, 2017, from https://startbloggingonline.com/what-is-a-blog-definition/