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MANILA - "Fake news" should be clearly defined by law, the head of the Presidential Communications Office said Tuesday, noting the harmful effects of false information to the public.

Speaking before a Senate inquiry, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said laws for those who want to seek redress from false information are in place but fake news must be defined clearly.

"While we understand that it is the prerogative of the legislature to enact new laws or amend existing ones, we humbly offer the proposition that in such case, fake news be clearly defined with the assurance that the basic constitutional right to free speech and expression will not be curtailed," he said.

Andnar admitted that his office has committed mistakes in the past. But he said these were corrected and steps have been laid down to prevent this from recurring.

"We have made mistakes in the past. We have been held accountable. These were honest mistakes with no intention to malign anybody," he explained.

Analysts previously expressed fears that a new law on fake news may be tantamount to censorship, as echoed in the statement of Senator Grace Poe at the start of the hearing.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who shares Poe's view, signed into law last year a law amending the Revised Penal Code, which increases punishment on publishing false news.

This is the 2nd hearing on fake news spearheaded by the committee on public information and mass media, headed by Poe. It was attended by both bloggers and journalists when it started last year.