Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 18) — Social media trolls can have a massive impact on the outcome of the 2022 election, but a “comprehensive effort” of ordinary Filipinos can beat them, a former House lawmaker said Thursday.
Moreover, former Education Secretary Armin Luistro, who is also one of the convenors of 1SAMBAYAN, says he believes that the Filipino youth would be a “key force” in the next polls.
“Grabe ang impact ng mga social media trolls, ng mga well-funded na kandidato. Sa lakas ng kanilang resources, kaya nilang mapanalo…,” former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said. “Kailangan ang sambayanang Pilipino sumama dito para labanan yan. It will take a comprehensive effort on the part of ordinary Filipinos,”
[Translation: Social media trolls of well-funded candidates have a tremendous impact. With the resources that they have, they can make anyone win… Filipinos must come together to fight them. It will take a comprehensive effort on the part of ordinary Filipinos.]
Colmenares spoke at the launch of 1SAMBAYAN, coalition of pro-democracy groups and personalities aiming to forge a unified opposition slate for the 2022 national elections.
Colmenares also said that young people would be instrumental in combatting trolls.
“In the first place, we need to understand that young people would be a key force in the next elections,” Luistro told CNN Philippines’ News Night.
“Ang kabataan sila ang may gamay talaga sa social media platform na ‘yan. Kung makumbinse natin ang maraming kabataan na sumama dito sa laban sa kanilang future, 100% sure tayo. Bilyon man ang gastusin nila sa trolls, kaya nating labanan at gapiin ang social media trolls ni President Duterte, he added.
[Translation: Young people know how to work social media platforms. If we can convince the youth to join our fight for their future, we are 100% sure. Even if billions are spent on trolls, we can fight and win against President (Rodrigo) Duterte’s trolls.]
The launch of 1SAMBAYAN was led by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Antonio Carpio, former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, and former Foreign Affairs secretary Albert Del Rosario. The three former officials were behind a case filed against Chinese officials, including President Xi Jinping, for illegal incursions in the South China Sea before the International Criminal Court.
Luistro added that it would be a game changer if more young people will register to vote.
During the launch, Carpio mentioned that they would come out with their endorsement of a unified ticket at least a month before the filing of candidacy in October 2021.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque was asked what he thought about the group during his regular briefing on Thursday, to which he answered, “Hindi ko po alam iyan. Hindi ko po nabasa iyan anywhere. Napakaaga namang makipag-usap ng politika. Isantabi muna habang nandito ang pandemya.”
[Translation: I know nothing about that. I have not read about it anywhere. It seems to be too early to talk about politics. Let’s set that aside while we are in a pandemic.]
“Even the surveys have showed that they are really for democratic space,” he said. “One key area is ensuring that the young people of today will register and then vote. I think that is one key factor that we may have failed in the last elections, we have not taken the effort to ask the young people to register and vote.”
