Recto: Protect 2022 polls from foreign troll factories

The government should look for ways to stop foreign troll factories from affecting the country’s 2022 elections, according to Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto.

Recto made the call after Facebook took down more than 100 local fake accounts and pages linked to police and military moves to target activists, and over 150 more based in China that support a possible candidacy of President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter in the next presidential election.

Recto said everyone should be involved in efforts to stop foreign interference in the forthcoming polls.

“This early, regardless of our political affiliation, we should work as one in making sure that no offshore black propaganda operations would mar the 2022 elections,” he said.

He urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to find ways to detect and stop foreign interference in the polls to favor a candidate.

“The Comelec and the DICT should work as one on this, on how to install a firewall that would keep alien-generated or alien-funded content from fomenting hatred and widening the division among our people,” he said.

Designed to mislead

“They should ensure that our submarine cables will not end up as puppet strings that can sway voting choices and dictate the outcome of a political exercise that should be limited to Filipinos alone,” he added.

Recto believes candidates will not conspire with foreign parties, but this will not deter foreign agents.

“I know that as patriots they will not condone an intrusion even if it is meant for their benefit. But nothing prevents foreign agents who have so much at stake here from propping up their favored candidate and pulling down the ones they dislike,” he said.

Elections should be decided based on the people’s free and informed choice, and not on manufactured stories designed to mislead, said Recto.

Foreign troll factories should not be allowed to mar the democratic exercise, he said, adding: “When unleashed in our elections, this virus is as dangerous as malwares in ballot counting machines.”

“The most dangerous swindle are lies that destroy our democratic fabric, poison civil discourse, subvert science, cover up dismal performance and make public agencies less accountable,” he said.

Leila: Remember 2016

Detained Sen. Leila de Lima hailed Facebook’s move and said the proliferation of fake accounts and pro-Duterte pages was not surprising. She alleged that the government had been funding these accounts.

“It’s not far-fetched that Duterte’s increasing intelligence fund is used to pay them, especially now that the elections are near,” said De Lima, one of the President’s most vocal critics.

“But what the recent Facebook shutdown of Duterte camp’s fake accounts and pages proves is that the Davao group is now operating, not just a troll farm, but a troll pigsty for the 2022 presidential election. It looks like they have nefarious plans!” she added.

She called on the public not to forget that Facebook’s security and privacy issues had compromised the 2016 elections.

“To redress this, Facebook has to look out for the same template Duterte used in 2016 which the Davao-China group is now replicating in Sara Duterte for the 2022 election,” she said, referring to the President’s daughter and Davao City mayor.

She hopes Facebook will continue to clean up cyberspace and take down accounts spreading lies.