Sen. Robin Padilla has filed a resolution directing the Senate to investigate the Presidential Communications Office’s (PCO) alleged dissemination of unverified, potentially propagandizing, and misleading information.
In Senate Resolution No. 188, Padilla said that effective, accurate, and responsible public communication is essential to ensuring transparency, accountability, and public trust in government.
‘There have been concerns regarding the dissemination of unverified, inconsistent, potentially propagandizing, and misleading information from the PCO, which have contributed to public confusion, misinformation, or misinterpretation of government actions and policies,’ Padilla said.
He also noted that public commentary has criticized aspects of the PCO’s communication style, pointing out that some official statements have been delivered in a manner that is combative, rhetorical, or lacking in data-based clarity, rather than calm, fact-based, and public-service-oriented.
According to Padilla, responsible communication becomes even more crucial amid an evolving information landscape where artificial intelligence, the virality of social media, and digital manipulation significantly increase the risk of political propaganda.
He cited the following events that allegedly became pivotal in ‘framing national issues and shaping public perception.’
In the Protesta! special coverage of the Edsa and Luneta rallies on News5 aired November 16, 2025, the Palace spokesperson had a heated exchange with political analyst Malou Tiquia after asking about the whereabouts of Orly Guteza and the status of cases filed in relation to the flood control ghost projects. Tiquia reportedly remarked: ‘As a Presidential Information Officer, you’re supposed to give data, say the official line, and not do much propaganda.’
On November 17, 2025, the PCO announced in a press briefing that the Office of the President had accepted the supposed resignations of former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman. Bersamin later refuted the announcement and denied having resigned.
On November 25, 2025, an editorial by Alex Magno titled ‘Destabilization’ warned against the frequent use of the term in Philippine political discourse, saying such rhetoric can stoke public fear, sow distrust, polarize debate, and discredit critics-especially when used by an official spokesperson.
On November 26, 2025, the Palace press officer called Vice President Duterte’s expression of readiness to assume the presidency a ‘form of political destabilization.’
With these concerns, Padilla urged the Senate panel on information and mass media to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the dissemination of unverified, potentially propagandizing, and misleading information by the PCO, to strengthen government communication. /mcm