Govt hunts fake news peddlers as PCOO pushes Covid-19 info
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2020 17:37:44 +0000
THE government does not see any problem moving forward with the repatriation and quarantine measures of overseas Filipino workers who were brought to the Philippines on Sunday from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19). It does, however, find fake news a challenge.
During a press briefing recently, Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya warned that they will go after the fabricators of misinformation and propagators of disinformation.
“We are warning those people, that Sec. Año has already directed CIDG to investigate,” he noted.
According to Malaya, none of the first batches of repatriated OFWs from China have shown any symptoms of Covid-19. Though they are now quarantined at the Athletes’ Village in New Clark City in Tarlac as a precautionary measure, Capas residents have nothing to worry about.
Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar assured that the government media and its attached offices will continue to give on-time and regular updates to ensure Filipinos stay safe and informed.
Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd said that the Department of Labor and Employment is ready with its reintegration program for OFWs who will come home from China, Hong Kong, Macau and probably Japan. This includes immediate financial assistance and livelihood assistance.
“Minimum financial assistance namin ay ₱20,000. Hindi ‘yan pautang, bigay ‘yan. (Our minimum financial assistance is ₱20,000. That is not a loan, we will give it to them.),” Secretary Bello said.