Senate Adopts, Ratifies Bicam Report On Bill Amending ‘Sotto Law’

Senate Seeks To Amend, Expand the ‘Sotto Law’

SENATE – The Senate adopted and ratified the amendments of the so-called “Sotto law” or the Shield Law.

Fabricated stories or “fake news” is rampant in some social media sites. Google and Facebook have become stricter because it causes confusion.

Aside from that, this misinformation or hoaxes have influenced the opinions of the public.

Fake-news
Photo Source: Ogilvy

In a previous article, Senate President Tito Sotto III wants to add heftier penalties for perjury.

This is after Alyas ‘Bikoy’ or Peter Joemel Advincula changed his story about the “Real Narcolist” changed so quickly.

Dapat talaga na palakasin natin… isa yang pinakamagandang dapat i-file ka agad naming sa 18th congress,” said Sotto.

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On Monday, the Senate wants to ratify a bicameral report on expanding the law authored by the late Senator Vicente Yap Sotto, the grandfather of Sen. Tito Sotto.

Based on a report from GMA, Republic Act 53 or the Shield Law, which was passed 70 years ago, allows broadcast and online journalist to reveal their sources. The bill is also called as the “Sotto law.”

The committee on public information and mass media, Senator Grace Poe, seeks to amend and expand the Sotto law.

Sen. Grace Poe
Photo Courtesy of Inquirer/Jilson Seckler Tiu

According to the report, Sen. Grace Poe said the people do not only receive news through print media. Most of the time, they gather news on the radio, internet, and the television.

“Through this law, we want to embolden whistleblowers to speak out. If they cannot approach government institutions, then they should at least be able to approach the media,” said Poe.

It’s a good thing that the late Sen. Vicente Sotto filed the bill and thanked Sen. Grace Poe “for the improvement of the Sotto law.

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