Charles Teves
President Rodrigo Duterte received tremendous criticism after slamming Facebook for taking down “advocacy” accounts that paint his administration in a good light.
The public has questioned whether the president can actually shut down Facebook in the country. Manila Bulletin Tech Editor Art Samaniego said Duterte has the power to but it wouldn’t be a smart move.
With the help of the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the National Telecommunications Commission, the government may be able to do just that.
“Technically puwede, kayang gawin, utusan Facebook lang si Globe, si PLDT, si Smart at si Dito na i-block mo si Facebook, maba-block na yan pero hindi siya wise kasi para siyang censorship, it’s a form of censorship,” said Samaniego.
Samaniego brought up how the Thai government ordered Facebook in 2017 to take down some three hundred pages and threatened to ban the social media platform in the country when it failed to remove all the accounts implicated. Facebook eventually complied.
Duterte earlier sent the social media platform a warning.
“Facebook, listen to me. We allow you to operate here. Hoping that you could help us also. Now, if government cannot espouse or advocate something which is the good of the people, then what is your purpose here in my country?” said the president.
Samaniego noted that Facebook being banned in the Philippines isn’t the wisest decision.
“Dito tayo, ipinapahayag natin yung mga damdamin natin dito sa FB, nakikipag-connect tayo sa Facebook, nag-aaral tayo sa Facebook, nagtatrabaho tayo sa Facebook so mukhang hindi wise na i-delete ‘tong social networkings site na ito,” he said.
Meanwhile, Integrated Bar of the Philippines President Atty. Domingo Cayosa said the Supreme Court may question in the event Facebook is banned in the country.
“Dapat mayroon namang basehan, sapagkat kung wala namang kabase-basehan eh grave abuse of discretion ‘yan at puwede hong makuwestiyon. Any act of any branch of government or any public official, if there is grave abuse of discretion, mayroong poder ang ating Supreme Court to look into it,” he said.
The public did not take the president’s threat lightly given his past of impulsivity.
Social media editor Erik Tenedero said that if Duterte can shut down media giant ABS-CBN then Facebook may suffer the same fate.
Human Rights Activist Francisco Baraan IV, one of Duterte’s staunchest critics, dared the president to go through with the threat just to see if his “troll army” can be as effective on Twitter.
After FB suspended military-linked FB accounts, Duterte now threatens to shutdown FB in PH.
Apparently, the knee-jerk response of tyrants is to shutdown orgs that threaten their tyranny (like ABS-CBN).
GO AHEAD. I DARE YOU.
Let's see if your troll army will survive on Twitter.
— Francis Baraan IV (@MrFrankBaraan) September 29, 2020
Activist Renato Reyes Jr. thinks Duterte is a dictator who just admitted that he is directly connected to the alleged troll farms.
Duterte vs Facebook
1. Duterte goes all dictatorial again with threats vs FB, same way he threatened Rappler and ABS-CBN.
2. Duterte practically admits government is behind network of fake news, fake accounts and state-sponsored coordinated inauthentic behavior.— Renato Reyes, Jr. (@natoreyes) September 29, 2020
