Team DailyPedia
Navotas City Representative Toby Tiangco has denounced the spread of fake news against him, calling it a form of corruption that deprives Filipinos of their fundamental right to truth and accurate information.
In a Facebook post, Tiangco said that certain private individuals and social media personalities have been deliberately spreading disinformation to damage his reputation for financial gain.
“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,” Tiangco said.
The lawmaker urged young Filipinos to be vigilant and proactive in combating misinformation, stressing that the youth should take the lead in promoting integrity and responsible digital engagement.
“Sobrang laganap na ang fake news at umaasa ako na ang kabataan ay ang magiging kampeon laban dito,” he said, as he called on them to identify those behind the disinformation being spread against him.
Tiangco also appealed to the public not to engage with pages that disseminate fake news, warning that online interaction only fuels the spread of lies.
“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 the observance of International Anti-Corruption Day, Tiangco encouraged the youth to harness modern technology in the fight against corruption, citing tools such as 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 also reiterated his push for the passage of House Bill No. 5699, which seeks to strengthen the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) by granting it expanded powers to investigate and hold accountable those involved in anomalous flood control projects.
Under the proposed measure, the ICI will be transformed into the Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption (ICAIC), with authority to file cases, issue subpoenas, impose hold departure orders, and conduct broader investigations.
Tiangco previously made headlines after revealing the presence of alleged insertions in the 2025 national budget. He said the discovery followed a meeting in Malacañang on March 24, where he was asked to present a list of projects reportedly endorsed by lawmakers.
To ensure accuracy and transparency, Tiangco said he personally verified the projects by cross-checking the proponents with the districts where they were set to be implemented.
From this verification, he disclosed that then Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co made the single largest insertion—₱13.8 billion worth of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects across various parts of the country.
