MANILA, April 20 -- The spread of disinformation through fake pro-Duterte social media accounts poses a serious threat to Philippine democracy ahead of the 2025 midterm elections, House of Representatives leaders warned on Sunday.

Deputy Speaker David Suarez of Quezon and Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga sounded the alarm following a Reuters report revealing that nearly one-third of X accounts discussing former President Rodrigo Duterte's potential arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC) were fake.

The report, based on research by disinformation watchdog Cyabra, also found that up to 45 percent of online conversations about the upcoming elections are driven by bots, sock puppets, avatars and paid influence...