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Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco has spoken out against fake news peddlers, calling their actions a corrupt practice that deprives Filipinos of their basic right to truthful and accurate information.

In a Facebook post, Tiangco revealed that certain private individuals and social media personalities have been circulating false accusations about him in an attempt to damage his reputation.

“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,” he said.

(There are private individuals and some social media personalities who are also corrupt. They spread fake news to earn money. They are thieves of the truth.)

The lawmaker encouraged young Filipinos to stay vigilant and take an active role in countering misinformation, stressing that the youth must champion integrity and responsible digital conduct.

“Sobrang laganap na ang fake news at umaasa ako na ang kabataan ay ang magiging kampeon laban dito,” Tiangco said, noting that he hopes they will identify who is behind the disinformation being spread about him.

(Fake news has become extremely widespread, and I am hoping that the youth will become the champions against it.)

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He also appealed to the public to stop engaging with pages that promote false content about him.

“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.

(Please: stop gossiping and stop visiting the pages of those spreading fake news against me—especially following them, reacting, viewing, or sharing their posts. Every click helps them earn money, and as long as they profit, they will continue spreading lies.)

In line with International Anti-Corruption Day, he also encouraged the youth to unite and fight corruption using modern technology and digital tools like 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.

(The youth are at the forefront of digital transformation, and I believe in their ability to develop innovative solutions that can improve government transparency, strengthen access to information—or the people’s right to ask for, receive, and share information—and protect whistle-blowers who expose corruption.)

Tiangco earlier reiterated his push for the passage of his proposed measure, which seeks to give the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) more teeth to investigate and hold accountable those involved in anomalous flood control projects.

According to Tiangco, his House Bill No. 5699 will help make ICI investigations and the filing of appropriate cases faster and more effective.

Under the proposal, the ICI will be transformed into the Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption (ICAIC) and will be granted the authority to file cases, issue subpoenas and hold departure orders, and conduct broader investigations.

It was Tiangco who discovered and revealed the presence of insertions in the 2025 national budget following a meeting in Malacañang on March 24, where he was asked to present a list of projects reportedly endorsed by lawmakers.

Wanting to ensure accuracy and transparency, he said he personally verified the projects by cross-checking the proponents with the districts where they would be implemented.

From that exercise, Tiangco discovered and revealed that then Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co made the single biggest insertion—P13.8 billion worth of DPWH projects in different parts of the country.