Davao City First District Councilor Temujin “Tek” Ocampo on Tuesday urged Dabawenyos to remain vigilant against “fake news.”
“I urged all Dabawenyos to remain alert and vigilant, verify news sources, and report instances of misinformation to the proper authorities,” he said in his privilege speech during the regular session at the Sangguniang Panlungsod in Davao City.
This developed after some mainstream media made false reports against the Davao City Civil Registrar’s Office (CRO) concerning the case of illegal registration of Chinese nationals following Lanao del Sur First District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong alleged pronouncement that he is favoring the filing of criminal charges against four employees of the Davao City CRO over the alleged issuance of fraudulent birth certificates of the said foreigners.
“Sadly, it has come to our attention just recently that several media outfits, including but not limited to Manila Bulletin, Politiko, DZMM Teleradyo, News5, Bombo Radyo Philippines, DWRB 103.9 News FM, and K5 National/International News, have irresponsibly cited the Davao City Civil Registrar’s Office in their reports regarding the alleged illegal registration of Chinese nationals in the Municipality of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur,” Ocampo said.
Ocampo, a former media practitioner for almost three decades, reiterated that the Davao City CRO has no jurisdiction over birth registrations processed by local civil registrars outside of Davao City.
He said that the actions taken in the Municipality of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, is beyond Davao City’s authority.
“This false association with our office is an outright misrepresentation of facts,” Ocampo said.
Ocampo iterated the National Bureau of Investigation – Southeastern Mindanao Regional Office’s (NBI-SEMRO) confirmation that charges have already been filed before the Office of the Ombudsman in Mindanao against employees of the Municipality of Sta. Cruz regarding this matter.
“This confirms that to date, “no employees of the Davao City Civil Registrar’s Office” have been implicated in any such case,” he said.
However, Ocampo said despite this clarification, the damage caused by the spread of fake news still lingers.
“Misinformation, once released, is difficult to fully retract, and its repercussions continue to sow confusion and distrust among the public. This false association with our office remains a misrepresentation of facts that must be continuously corrected,” he said.
Ocampo added that this misreporting has not only tarnished the reputation of the City Government of Davao but has also misinformed the public, sowing unnecessary confusion and distrust.
He said media organizations must exercise due diligence by verifying facts before publication.
“The dissemination of false information, particularly when it defames individuals or institutions, carries serious legal consequences under the Philippine laws and statutes. I believe that Davao Media is responsible for reporting. I am talking about their Manila counterparts. “Pangutan-a sad ninyo ang Davao media kay sila nakabalo sa tinuod”,” Ocampo said.
Ocampo said there must be accountability from media organizations and encourage them to uphold the highest standards of journalism.
“It is our responsibility as public servants to protect the credibility of government institutions and ensure that false dissemination of information is addressed and rectified. I urge this esteemed Council to take decisive action against fake news,” he said.
Ocampo said the city government of Davao remains committed to transparency and upholding the integrity of its services.
“We will not allow fake news to impede the progress we have made,” he said.
