#FactsFirstPH to Filipinos: The battle for facts needs you

The battle for facts needs you.

This is what more than 100 organizations from the media, coalitions, civil society, business, academe, law, and the Church said as they launched a first-of-its kind initiative on Wednesday, January 26, 2022, called “#FactsFirstPH.”

#FactsFirstPH brings together various sectors that are committed to promoting truth in the public space, and exacting accountability on those who harm it with lies.

Daily Guardian is honored to be part of this effort to defend truth and democracy during this crucial moment in our country.

“Truth is not just about gathering and reporting facts. It entails deeper analysis and parsing of the words and information that are released to us through various platforms so we can the full and real picture of issues. And we can only do that through the concerted efforts of the purveyors and consumers of information,” Daily Guardian editor-in-chief Francis Allan L. Angelo said.

#FactsFirstPH will collectively push for truth-telling and debunking lies through four steps: fact-checking by news organizations; networking by civil society and grassroots groups; research and analysis by academic institutions; and seeking accountability by lawyers’ groups.

“The attack on facts is personal: if you defend the facts, you’re hammered down, intimidated to stay silent or join the mob. Those aren’t our only options. There is strength in standing up together. Because now more than ever, we need facts,” Rappler CEO and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa said.

The goal of FactsFirstPH is to make truth spread faster and further than lies and hate. It’s a first-of-its-kind, four-layer approach to help restore the integrity of elections, and give the public the information they need to choose the leaders they want on May 9.

Ed Bice of Meedan said “Democracy is the promise of governance that reflects the periodic, electoral decisions of its citizenry.  Networked misinformation threatens the very foundation of democracy. In response we must gather journalists, researchers, and civil society in multi-stakeholder efforts to ground voting choices in facts first. Meedan is honored to be providing its collaboration software and know-how built over the past decade of global election media monitoring to this partnership.”

Irene Jay Liu, APAC News Lab Lead of Google, said “fighting misinformation is important to Google, and it takes the whole of society, working together, to address it.”

“We are honored to support this grassroots movement across journalism, academia, civil society, and the legal community in the battle against misinformation to help Filipinos make an informed vote and protect the integrity of the democratic process,” Liu added.

Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao said “disinformation is a form of election fraud. Voters are deceived into supporting certain candidates and party-list groups based on lies, misinformation and disinformation.”

“The media, academe, election watchdogs and other concerned groups and individuals should unite in promoting and upholding truth-telling this election season and beyond. Lest we forget, the future of whatever’s left of our democracy is at stake. Impunity and tyranny should not be the new normal,” Arao said.

As of Wednesday, January 26, over 100 organizations are part of this multi-sectoral initiative. More partners will be invited to the project.

This collaboration is supported by technology non-profit group Meedan, Rappler, and Google News Initiative.

Below is a full list of participating groups in this initiative as of 7 am of Wednesday January 26:

 

FACT-CHECKING

ABKD Network

ABS‐CBN Integrated News and Current Affairs

Altermidya

Baguio Chronicle

Catholic Media Network

Daily Guardian

Interaksyon

Mindanao Gold Star

News5 Digital

OneNewsPH

PressOne

Probe Productions

Radyo Veritas

Rappler

 

MESH

#CourageON Coalition (89 members)

#PHVote Coalition (45 members)

2030 Youth Force in the Philippines

ACP3- PEACE T.A.Y.O.

Alyansa ng Kabataang Mindanao para sa Kapayapaan (AKMK)

Amateur Media Association of Philippine Scouts

Bantay Bakuna

Bayan Mo Patrol Mo

BlogWatch

Boto Pilipino

Break the Fake

Brotherhood of Christian – Businessmen & Professionals

Caloocan Young Leaders Initiative

Caritas Philippines

Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines

Center for Trade Union and Human Rights

Coalition for People’s Right to Health

College Editors Guild of the Philippines

Concerned Artists of the Philippines

Council for Health and Development

Dakila

Fact Check Philippines

FEU Central Student Organization

Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines

Foundation for Media Alternatives

Fyt

Holy Angel University

Human Rights Watch

Ibon Foundation

ImagineLaw

Juan Health PH

Ka-Ilongga

Kalikasan

Karapatan

Kilos na para sa Kabuhayan, Kalusugan at Karapatan (K4)

Kontra Daya

LILAK

Makati Business Club

Move As One coalition

National Alliance of Youth Leaders Inc.

Northern Dispatch

Now You Know

Out of the Box

Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV)

Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism

PMCJ

Practice of Administrative Leadership and Service – NCPAG

Rise Up for Life and For Rights (and EcuVoice Philippines)

Student Council Alliance of the Philippines

Tamang Boto

Tatak Botante

The Amaranth

UE – Manila CASSC

University of the Philippines – Los Baños

Visayas State University

YouVote Global Shapers Iloilo Hub

 

RESEARCH

ACCeSs@AIM: Analytics, Computing, and Complex Systems Lab of Asian Institute of Management

De La Salle University – La Salle Institute of Governance

Far Eastern University – Public Policy Center

Philippine Media Monitoring Laboratory, UP Department of Communication Research

Rappler Research and Data team

 

ACCOUNTABILITY

Free Legal Assistance Group

Movement Against Disinformation

National Union of Journalists in the Philippines

Philippine Bar Association