Quezon City, Philippines—The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) is actively exploring advanced technologies to combat the increasing threat of deepfake videos in the Philippines. This initiative comes in response to the growing concern over digital misinformation and its impact on society.
According to Philippines News Agency, CICC Director Alexander Ramos discussed the ongoing efforts during the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City. “Our preparation is to find a technology to counter or detect deepfake. There are such technologies that suppliers are still working on,” Ramos explained. He emphasized the government’s commitment to acquiring state-of-the-art tools, revealing that approximately PHP10 million is allocated annually for subscription-based technologies to prevent deepfake manipulation.
Ramos pointed out that while many suppliers offer potential solutions, not all are suitable. “There are many suppliers but not all suppliers you will pick. [Check if it’s] efficient. I will not waste our money,” he stated. He further added that the agency, in collaboration with international partners, is testing these technologies to evaluate their efficacy and determine if additional knowledge is needed to address this challenge effectively.
The urgency of these efforts is underscored by the daily recording of five to six deepfake cases, with an anticipated increase in fraud using this technology. Ramos is advocating for increased budget allocations from the Department of Budget and Management and Congress to enable the CICC to develop its own counter-deepfake technology.
This issue gained particular prominence following an incident involving a deepfake video of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., which circulated just before his State of the Nation Address in July. The video, which was debunked by local fact-checkers and law enforcement, was identified as a manipulated piece intended to damage the President’s reputation.
The Philippine government remains vigilant in its fight against misinformation, with ongoing efforts to enhance capabilities in detecting and responding to digital threats. “The government never stops looking for solutions and we are not alone. This is a global pandemic, this issue of scams, and we are addressing it to the best of our ability using all available technologies,” Ramos assured.