Ombudsman Remulla vows legal action against health misinformation spreaders

MANILA — Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla announced plans to take legal action against vloggers and social media pages spreading misinformation regarding his personal health and cases involving former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Remulla disclosed that his office will file formal complaints with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) targeting those responsible for circulating the false information. The move represents an escalation in efforts to combat what officials characterize as deliberate disinformation campaigns on digital platforms.

The announcement underscores growing concerns among government officials about the proliferation of unverified health claims and legal allegations on social media. The Ombudsman's office has increasingly prioritized addressing coordinated misinformation campaigns that target senior government figures.

Remulla did not elaborate on the specific nature of the false claims or provide details on which cases involving Romualdez would form the basis of complaints. The DICT has been designated as the lead agency in processing such reports under the government's framework for addressing online disinformation.