"When fake reports, false pages, and inauthentic behaviour
became the administration's social media strategy"
The recent action brought by Facebook Inc. has brought concern for the Duterte regime and its apologists. Be it because of their nature of their content being junked as "coordinated inauthentic kind of behaviour" to those of false reports such as those shared by a government officials, the order, through the Duterte administration, has suddenly talking about "freedom of speech" to those of threatening the social media site to be investigated, if not shutting its presence down for what they think as "intervention."
It is not surprising, for as these apologists of the order sees the role of social media as a medium the government uses for effective information dissemination and direct popular participation, it is also serve as a way to curry support especially in regards to their programs- including those that may end questionable rather than their expectation that's agreeable.
However, this incident didn't happen last September. Last 2018, Facebook Inc. has removed almost a hundred pages, including a handful of pro-Duterte pages after it was found guildy of posting spam or irrelevant content. According to a report in CNN Philippines that year it said that it had removed 95 pages and 39 accounts as part of its ongoing efforts to protect its services from abuse. And amongst these removed pages are vocal in their support for Duterte and former Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos- and include names like "Duterte Media", "Duterte sa Pagbabago BUKAS", "DDS", "Duterte Phenomenon", "DU30 Trending News", and "Manang Imee".
For Facebook Inc., these said pages violated the social media site's "spam and authenticity policies by encouraging people to visit low quality websites that contain little substantive content and are full of disruptive ads." "We don't want this kind of behavior on Facebook — and we're investing heavily in both people and technology to keep bad content off our services...," Facebook said in a statement. "This takedown is a small step in the right direction, and we will continue working to find and remove more bad content."
But for the fanatic this doesn't matter. They realise how social media as capable of "making wonders" thus they have to invest on those whether to curry people support or to defend their idol Duterte no matter how the social media site trying to control it. Of course, these fanatics would claim about "freedom of speech" or ranting how about the opposition, especially the radicals for propagating messages critical to the government? This writer even saw those calling Zuckerberg as an ally of the opposition all because of the actions pointing against them- and it is not surprising that for these fanatics it is their duty to defend the order such as their president no matter how fake it is or not.
However, as Facebook Inc. continues its "purge" of false accounts and "fake pages" due to "coordinated inauthentic behaviour" and the likes, this time the government, with all with that grave concern from those recent reports has to counter it- just like what Cayetano said, that how come Facebook deactivates accounts of those supporting while allowing those who he called as destabilisers demanding for a violent overthrow of the government?
Quite ridiculous tho as Cayetano et al. expressed that message, but it is the same administration who threatens those who seriously dissent in various forms be it memes, statement of concern, or plain simple angst- that at times end forced to apologise under coercion by *ehem* authorities sworn to upheld freedom of speech and expression. And is it also the same administration, who, while sharing some false reports, even justify it as "informative" or "entertaining", aside from accusing those being featured in shared posts as "destabilisers" and "terrorists."
At present, the government is still waiting for Facebook Inc. to respond to its call for some "talks"; but for now they have to get contented on that social media site's justification behind their action. Others, aside from calling for shutting down Facebook like what happened to ABS CBN, either planning to move to another site or just staying put and continue its action as the Presidential Communications. Wouldn't be surprised if after 2022 would change scripts if not remain remorseless in justifying their idol's actions to those of promoting toxic positivity. After all, they have to maintain their presence in social media knowing its major factor for their idol's presidential win during the 2016 elections. And from their presence this includes promotion or provocation: of showing various government projects regardless of its fakery (like those of a bridge project somewhere in Luzon but uses a picture of a bridge located somewhere in the Balkans) to those of accusing Vice President Leni Robredo for stealing the Vice Presidency from their preferred candidate Bongbong Marcos.
What more of others who would even cloak themselves as "neutral" or "pragmatic" but from the tone of their commentary it makes Duterte as a lesser evil figure.
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And because of these actions makes a concerned would think if not say outright that they are altogether footmen of the order that's rotting, desperate to maintain in power. Not even surprising that they have that less concern given to the "validity" of their statements and instead given more emphasis on their strategy to misled the people in their hodgepodge of toxic positivity and rabid loyalty to their idol Duterte. It doesn't matter when the dolomite sand beach in Manila has its negative effects for the important is its aesthetic; what more of collateral damages in its anti-drug operations "just to maintain order". Perhaps right was one of their rabid supporters that a hundred casualties, regardless of its innocence or not be taken their lives for years of "stability", that human rights is unnecessary, that "law is law" and its harshness meant "no mercy", and that to live in an autocratic order as better than under a chaotic democracy.
But despite all these, that the people are increasingly becoming aware of what goes on behind the sawali curtain. For sure they dismissed the delusions brought by the order as the waters of the Manila Bay destroys the artificial beaches. That they felt betrayed by the man who promised to stick the Flag in the disputed seas while riding a jetski, of claiming to be a "socialist" only to be surrounded by interest-seekers especially those of ex-military servicemen claiming to be "working hard" to preserve the ever-rotting order.
Perhaps, this writer may've agreed that the promises of the 1986 and 2001 revolts turned out to be empty rhetorics and half-baked 'realisations' meant to impress the majority and thus led to an upsurge of Orderism ranging from Marcostalgia to Dutertism. The problem is, neither their yearning for nostalgia or change didn't push their nation forward- worse, to see the country still in its ever-continuing past.