FILE PHOTO — Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on September 22, 2020. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — “Bakit? Maganda ba behavior ng pro-communist accounts? (Why? Are pro-communist accounts showing good behavior?)”
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Saturday posed this question after the social media giant Facebook’s move to shut down accounts of Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) members.
In a radio interview, the senator also questioned Facebook’s “targeting” of military and police accounts because of their behavior.
“Well, hindi ko pa sila nakausap. Since, nakita ng Facebook na ang AFP at PNP, klaro na tina-target mga accounts doon. Nung sinabi nilang: ‘We are not after the content, we are after the behavior of the account.’ Bakit mga PNP at AFP lang ang pina-take down nila? Bakit maganda ba behavior ng pro-communist accounts? So very clear tinatarget nila yung mga pro-government na mga accounts,” the senator told DWIZ when asked if he coordinated with the police and military regarding the Facebook matter.
(Well, I haven’t talked to them. Since Facebook saw AFP and PNP, it is clear that these accounts are being targeted. When they said, ‘We are not after the content, we are after the behavior of the account.’ Why are only PNP and AFP accounts were deleted? Are pro-communist accounts showing good behavior? So it is very clear that pro-government accounts are being targeted.)
Dela Rosa, former PNP chief, also lamented the closure of “Hands Off Our Children,” saying it is an advocacy group, not a fake account.
“Napaka laking baliktaran ang ginawa nila dito sa account ng Hands Off Our Children na isang advocacy group. Hindi man ito fake. Totoong mga parents ito na gusto protektahan ang kanilang mga anak sa pagrerecruit ng CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army) sa ekswelahan. This is a legitimate advocacy group,” he said.
(These are not fake accounts. Real parents are using this to protect their children from communist recruitment in schools.)
“So ano ang sinasabi nila? Bakit puro pro-government? Bakit puro anti-terrorism advocacy groups pinapa-take down nila? How about itong nakikita ng kababayan na more than 400,000 na mga accounts na pro-communist, ‘yung mga anti-government? Are you sure hindi ito mga fake accounts? Bakit hindi ito tinetakedown?” he further asked.
(So what are they saying? Why only pro-government? Why only anti-terrorism advocacy groups were shut down? How about these more than 400,000 pro-communist accounts, those anti-government accounts? Are you sure these are not fake? Why are they not being deleted?)
The AFP leadership previously asked the social media site to bring back the pages of advocacy groups including Hand Off Our Children which is an advocacy group of parents whose children were supposedly missing or recruited by communist groups.
To recall, Facebook took down over 100 fake accounts traced to police and military due to “coordinated inauthentic behavior.” The said accounts had contents of criticisms against communism, activists, and opposition.
Dela Rosa also recently filed a resolution seeking a Senate investigation regarding the removal of accounts supportive of President Rodrigo Duterte and pro-military “advocacy” pages.