Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco has called out fake news peddlers, describing their actions as a form of corruption that robs Filipinos of their fundamental right to truth and correct information.
In a Facebook post, Tiangco said that some corrupt private individuals and social media personalities have been spreading fake news against him to destroy his reputation.
“May pribadong tao o mga social media personalities din na corrupt. Sila yung nagkakalat ng fake news para kumita ng pera. Sila yung mga magnanakaw ng katotohanan,” he said.
The lawmaker called on the youth to become vigilant and proactive in combating misinformation, emphasizing that young Filipinos must lead the fight for integrity and responsible digital engagement.
“Sobrang laganap na ang fake news at umaasa ako na ang kabataan ay ang magiging kampeon laban dito,” Tiangco said, urging them to identify the brain behind the spread of disinformation against him.
“Pakiusap po: huwag na po kayong mag-maritess at puntahan pa ang mga pages ng mga nagkakalat ng fake news laban saakin, lalo na’t mag-follow sa kanila, react (maski galit na emoji), mag view, lalo na’t mag-share ng kanilang posts kasi sa bawat click niyo, pumapaldo ang mga yan at habang kumikita sila, lalo pa silang magpapakalat ng kasinungalingan,” he added.
In line with International Anti-Corruption Day, he also encouraged the youth to unite and fight corruption using modern technology and digital tools like blockchain and artificial intelligence.
“Ang kabataan ang nangunguna sa pagsulong ng mga digital transformation at ako ay nananalig sa kanilang kakayahang mag-develop ng makabagong solusyon para mapataas ang transparency sa gobyerno, maiangat ang access to information o ang pagsiguro sa karapatan ng mamamayan humingi, makatanggap at magbahagi ng impormasyon, at ma-proteksyonan ang mga ‘whistle-blowers’ o mga nagsisiwalat sa mga katiwalian,” he said.
Tiangco earlier reiterated his push for the passage of his proposed measure, which seeks to give the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) more teeth to investigate and hold accountable those involved in anomalous flood control projects.
According to Tiangco, his House Bill No. 5699 will help make ICI investigations and the filing of appropriate cases faster and more effective.
Under the proposal, the ICI will be transformed into the Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption (ICAIC) and will be granted the authority to file cases, issue subpoenas and hold departure orders, and conduct broader investigations.
It was Tiangco who discovered and revealed the presence of insertions in the 2025 national budget following a meeting in Malacañang on March 24, where he was asked to present a list of projects reportedly endorsed by lawmakers.
Wanting to ensure accuracy and transparency, he said he personally verified the projects by cross-checking the proponents with the districts where they would be implemented.
From that exercise, Tiangco discovered and revealed that then Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co made the single biggest insertion—P13.8 billion worth of DPWH projects in different parts of the country.
