How do you see the role of whistleblowers evolving in the age of AI-driven platforms?

How can journalism and legal accountability systems adapt when the very concept of 'evidence' becomes contested, and when communities trust AI-generated content that aligns with their beliefs over verified facts that challenge them?

2028 elections: there is no longer a real citizen watchdog, and the cheating is bound to happen in machines beyond our reach. Is Microsoft working with anyone ?

How do we balance creative freedom with safeguards against manipulative synthetic media?

REALITIES OF JOURNALISM WORLDWIDE

Ukrainian journalist Natalia Gumenyk, co-founder of Public Interest Journalism Lab, said journalism can help our communities by facilitating dialogues among stakeholders and take a proactive role.

This is what they do in their organization, where they help in collecting evidence for lawyers – they preserve stories for memory. This is important, according to her, especially in these times that history can rewritten. 

Investigative reporter and renowned author Patricia Evangelista recalled her struggles in covering Duterte’s war on drugs. Among the problems she’d encountered were security concerns involving sources.

Since journalists cannot protect their sources, it’s very important, according to her, that the consent is clear and they are told about the possible repercussions. 

Meanwhile, Evangelista also reminded the panel that journalism is not objective, and that it should listen to people stories for better reporting. Journalism, according to her, must listen and look into the entirety of the human being.

Priscilla Enriquez,  president and CEO of James B. McClatchy Foundation, said they’ve realized more than ever the importance of funding journalism for independence. Her organization has been recognized as a champion of journalism philanthropy.

Enriquez said journalism must remain especially in these times of perversion of the truth and facts.

Veteran journalist Inday Espina Varona highlighted the importance of reporting about human rights concerns, like red-tagging. In reporting these concerns, there are no shortcuts, but reporters must learn to show who the subjects are, according to the veteran journalist.

She also reiterated the dangers of red-tagging, which the Philippine Supreme Court had acknowledged as a threat to life, liberty, and security.

“[Red-tagging] was never just words,” Varona said. 

The acceleration risk wielded ugly effects of AI risks, particularly generative AI, and while there are efforts in finding solutions, the reality is its not easy to let’s say change a spelling and see that get done across all the trillions of data sources of the leading LLMs, let alone remove bias and/or clean wrong or harmful content from years ago. And with growing unguided usage of the more popular GenAI, how might we really be able to sift through the genAI output already becoming part of the training dataset for the algorithms using them as base?

What’s your assessment of the reported risks of AI? What are your biggest worries about the most about recent developments in AI capabilities?

1)what is the power of multinational companies like Microsoft in the international sphere? Should they be considered none state actors considering their infuence?

For Microsoft PH in your partnership with the Clooney Foundation, what are the privacy and security guarantees of the foundation's AI service for those seeking legal help and whose lives are likely in danger?

What about the environmental impact of launching a large Al platform such as the Oxford Institute?

What about the sensitive nature of the information that will be put into the app? What are the cybersecurity measures in place for this? What about the servers as each country has different laws for cyber crime, safeguards, and privacy? We have no international precedent for this?

What about the hallucination issue that Generative Al still has?

.15% of 800 million is a huge number but openAi dismisses these as insignificant. The vulnerable should be prevented without guidance to openly using genAI.

How do we even enforce digital sovereignty considering the virtual domain is so different from the physical domain?

To Peter Maquera, (and the panel) you said that companies are slow to adapt to AI. If you were to draw up a roadmap for say Small and Medium Scale (SMEs) companies in the Philippines (which make up over 95% of industry) on how they might start leveraging on AI and its potential benefits, and do so ethically, what would that look like?

Can we hear more about whether part of the issue is that we no longer invest in or provide safe physical spaces for children and teens to engage with each other. Malling isn’t the answer. Can we blame children from using these virtual spaces, which give them space to explore in a way they can no longer in the real world?

How do we demand accountability from big tech companies to ensure that their fine prints are also better understood by the people?

Because it’s a race is why countries are hesitating on putting in effect the necessary guidelines… it’s pressure to innovate to grow. We need the entire world to consider once more AI for beneficial use of humans, aligned with human values. Not sure what could compel countries to fast track putting in guardrails since each country is inundated by technologies from different countries.

On “synthetic intimacy” (thank you, Audrey!) how do parents, teachers, healers prepare and protect children and youth from Emotional AI systems that are emerging in various forms: companion chatbots, virtual friends, therapeutic apps, and sentiment-aware assistants. I think we must strive to remain constantly connected as human beings in community.

The second part of panel discussion revolved in AI safety civic trust and ethical resillience. 


Here is the key points I took note:



Audrey Tang discussed the exploitation of AI in younger generation. "Based on the studies, most of kids are exploited in fake intimacy that is delivered by AI, the inteaction of it is close to them" Tang said. 



"The long term solution for AI impunity is to switch the language models based on communities instead of relying in a public server that isn't organic to the local culture."


In terms of AI in echo chamber of journalism, Carole Cadwalladr said, "AI can't replace the human. Even in writing, speaking, or journalism. We should reframe and modify the argument, digital right is our human right."
v problem we faced in previous generation. From healthcare, technology, business or even journalism. It is a new tool for us," Maquera said.

FACT CHECK: Video of Zaldy Co claiming Dutertes ordered him to ‘defame’ Marcos is AI-generated
The real footage of Co’s ‘tell-all’ video shows him reading his prepared script, while the AI-generated clip shows him looking directly at the camera

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/video-zaldy-co-claiming-duterte-ordered-defame-marcos-ai-generated/

FACT CHECK: Marcos did not flee Malacañang following Zaldy Co’s budget insertion claims
Contrary to the claim that barricades were set up around Malacañang following Co's allegations against the President, the barbed-wire fences were in fact installed in preparation for scheduled anti-corruption rallies

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/ferdinand-marcos-jr-did-not-flee-zaldy-co-allegations/

FACT CHECK: ICC has jurisdiction over PH drug war cases
In an October 2025 ruling, the ICC pre-trial chamber says the Court ‘can exercise jurisdiction in the present case over the crimes alleged against Mr. Duterte that were committed on the territory of the Philippines while it was a state party’

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/icc-jurisdiction-ph-drug-war-cases/

FACT CHECK: Quote card of Sotto accusing Dutertes of orchestrating Co’s videos is fake
There is no credible evidence that Sotto pointed to the Duterte camp as being behind Co's video exposé alleging Marcos' involvement in the 2025 budget insertion scandal

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/senate-president-tito-sotto-tags-duterte-zaldy-co-videos/

Request for Fact Check:
https://palawandailynews.com/national-news/injured-navy-sailor-returns-to-duty-following-successful-thumb-reattachment-surgery

FACT CHECK: AI-manipulated clip misrepresents Zaldy Co video on flood control scandal
While Co did mention Romualdez and Marcos in his ‘tell-all’ video, the former congressman did not make the statement shown in the AI-generated video where he explicitly tags the two as the masterminds of anomalous flood control projects

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/zaldy-co-ai-manipulated-clip-misrepresents-video-flood-control-mess/

FACT CHECK: No, Cayetano isn’t replacing Remulla as Ombudsman
Remulla remains Ombudsman, while Cayetano is a senator. The video’s title and thumbnail use clickbait language, misleading social media users.

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/alan-cayetano-not-replacing-boying-remulla-ombudsman-november-2025/

FACT CHECK: Video of Zaldy Co alleging selective prosecution is AI-generated
AI analysis tools flagged the video as a deepfake, showing an 83% to 99% likelihood that it bears AI-generated content and clear signs of face manipulation

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/zaldy-co-selective-prosecution-ai-generated/

FACT CHECK: Supreme Court did not file charges vs Marcos over PhilHealth fund transfer
The SC does not file charges but hears cases directly brought to it or rules on judgments of lower courts. As a sitting president, Marcos is also immune from civil or criminal cases.

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/supreme-court-not-file-charges-vs-ferdinand-marcos-jr-philhealth-fund-transfer/

FACT CHECK: Duterte not found unconscious in ICC detention center
His daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, and lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman have debunked the claim

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/rodrigo-duterte-not-found-unconscious-icc-detention-center-november-2025/

FACT CHECK: Marcoleta is a senator, not the House speaker
Isabela Representative Bojie Dy is currently the House Speaker. Contrary to the claim, Marcoleta cannot assume the role because he is a senator in the 20th Congress.

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/rodante-marcoleta-not-house-speaker/

FACT CHECK: Registration links for ‘Christmas bonus’ payouts lead to phishing site
There is no Christmas bonus payout through the UCT program, which ended in 2020; the supposed registration links also lead to unofficial blog sites

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/registration-links-christmas-bonus-lead-blog-sites-phishing-november-2025/

FACT CHECK: Link to Makati City ‘Pamaskong Handog’ pre-registration is fake
The Makati city government says there is no list and no tickets being given out for the distribution of Christmas gift packages

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/makati-city-pamaskong-handog-pre-registration-fake/