MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte appealed to social media giant Facebook not to shut down pages that promote interests of the government.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte got irked after Facebook took down several pages and accounts allegedly linked to the military and police for “coordinated inauthentic behavior” last week.
“Hindi niya alam kung ano ang gagawin niya, pero ang sabi talaga niya ay huwag mong ipagbawal iyong mga pages na nag-a-advocate ng mga interest ng gobyerno,” Roque said.
“Wala pa pong concrete na action na ginawa ang Presidente, kaka-announce lang po niya niyan (on Monday night),” he added. “Hindi rin po mabuti ‘yan sa Facebook. No.1 tayong user at malaki ang epekto niyan.”
The spokesperson said it seems unfair that Facebook is only taking down pro-government pages while pages critical of Duterte remain.
“Ang gusto pong mangyari ay huwag supilin ang kalayaan sa pananalita. Kapag po sa oposisyon, ‘di po tinatanggal sa Facebook. Sine-censor ‘pag kampi sa gobyerno,” Roque said.
“Pinaka-sensitive ang Pangulo sa Hands off our Children’ page. Notorious ang mga komunista in recruiting children as combatants,” he added. “Hindi po ‘yan mine-maintain ng gobyerno pero sang-ayon po ‘yan sa international conventions.”
In his address to the nation Monday, Duterte took issue with Facebook’s recent move to take down pages and accounts associated with the military and police for coordinated inauthentic behavior.
“Facebook, listen to me. We allow you to operate here hoping that you could help us also. Now, if [the] government cannot espouse or advocate something which is for the good of the people, then what is your purpose here in my country?” Duterte asked.
“What would be the point of allowing you to continue if you cannot help us? We are not advocating mass destruction, we are not advocating mass massacre,” the President added./PN
