Editor’s Note: This story is based on #WeDecide: First 100 Days, a presidential interview series by Rappler CEO and Nobel laureate Maria Ressa. Watch the full interview with Senator Manny Pacquiao aired on Rappler’s social media channels on Monday, April 18.

MANILA, Philippines – Presidential bet Manny Pacquiao said that people who spread disinformation should be punished by the government.

Pacquiao said in #WeDecide: First 100 Days, an interview series with Rappler CEO and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa, that people have fallen for disinformation and it is the government’s job to step in.

“It’s hard to blame them, the people, because they are naive about the information no? Kung ano ’yung natanggap dun sa social media… kung wala silang ibang narinig about this issue, maniniwala sila. (Whatever they see on social media, if they don’t hear anything about that issue, they will believe it),” he said.

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“But the thing is, dapat ang ating gobyerno may control pagdating sa mga releases ng mga fake news – dapat sugpuin. (The government should have control on the release of fake news – it should be stopped),” he said

Pacquiao said that the government should punish fake news peddlers.

“Dapat nating parusahan ’yung mga taong nagsisinungaling, nag-spread ng mga fake news, mga fabricated story,” he said.

(We need to punish those who lie, those who spread fake news and fabricated stories.)

On the issue of Marcos’ ill-gotten wealth, Pacquiao said that Filipinos have fallen for fake news that sought to sanitize the image of the late dictator’s family.

“Kung may Supreme Court decision na talagang nagnakaw sila, tapos may naibalik na dito sa Pilipinas, so may ninakaw talaga kasi may nabalik na eh,” he said.

“Ang social media ngayon, [may] deceiving factor do’n sa mga young people. I just want them to remind na hindi lahat ng nakikita nila sa social media ay totoo,” he said.

(If there is a Supreme Court decision that they really stole, and then there were assets that were seized by the Philippine government, that means that they really stole from us because it has been recovered. On social media right now, there has been a deceiving factor on young people. I just want to remind them that not everything they see on social media is true.)

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Tracking the Marcos disinformation and propaganda machinery

Pacquiao has been hitting survey front runner and dictator son Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his family in the latter half of the campaign.

Pacquiao had warned Filipinos should expect martial rule under a Marcos Jr. presidency. He said the level of executive control would allow Marcos Jr. to erase his family’s debts to the government.

Pacquiao had also said that Marcos Jr. has no right to claim he is corruption-free, citing the unresolved plunder case that involved him in the controversial pork barrel scam.

In 2017, the High Court upheld Sandiganbayan’s decision that declared Imelda Marcos’ jewelry ill-gotten. The Supreme Court has similarly affirmed the anti-graft court’s forfeiture of dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ so-called Arelma funds deposited in the United States being appealed by the former first lady and Marcos Jr.. – Rappler.com