Disinformation and red-tagging of Filipino opposition lawmakers had “increased alarmingly” forward of the May 2022 polls, in line with the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR).
Based on the report, former Vice President Leni Robredo, the primary rival of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. within the 2022 presidential election, was the “prime target of intensified disinformation and red-tagging in social media leading up to election day.”
According to its report, the APHR is a bunch of regional networks of present and former parliamentarians who use their distinctive positions to advance human rights and democracy in Southeast Asia.
The APHR mentioned Robredo was repeatedly “red-tagged” by authorities officers, together with Lorraine Badoy, the previous spokesperson for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
Citing the Philippine court docket, the APHR outlined “red-tagging” as “the act of labeling, branding, naming, and accusing individuals and organizations of being left-leaning, subversives, communists, or terrorists (used as) a strategy… by state agents….against those perceived to be ‘threats’ or ‘enemies’ of the state.”
The report mentioned that elected representatives, members, and supporters of the Makabayan bloc, a coalition of progressive left-wing occasion lists within the House of Representatives, had been additionally red-tagged by the federal government as a authorized entrance for the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
In 2017, the federal government categorised the CPP and the New People’s Army (NPA) as “terrorist organizations,” in line with the report.
“Despite the fact that the Makabayan bloc repeatedly rejected the government’s accusations, such red-tagging statements were posted on social media, especially Facebook pages of government agencies and public officials,” the APHR mentioned.
“They were shared widely by netizens, resulting in threats, violence, and sometimes deaths of members and supporters of the Makabayan bloc,” it added.
The APHR additionally mentioned that plenty of assaults had been recorded in 2022 towards Senator Risa Hontiveros and House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro.
It additionally highlighted a “disturbing trend that emerged: misogynist harassment and attacks” towards girls lawmakers and candidates, saying that the “viciousness of misogynistic attacks intensified” in the course of the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Meanwhile, the APHR mentioned the landslide victory of Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte within the elections was “due in great part to a successful campaign of disinformation and red-tagging against opposition parties and political dissenters, including lawmakers.”
“It is also concerning that online misogynist attacks seem to have taken root and have been strategically deployed to target and undermine the credibility of women lawmakers and candidates who have been known to express dissent and hold those in power accountable,” it mentioned.
“The new administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. may continue such a campaign to silence criticism and consolidate power and deploy the same tactics in future elections. This undoubtedly will pose a greater risk to opposition lawmakers in the next six years,” it added.
GMA News Online reached out to Reynold Munsayac, spokesperson for the Office of the Vice President, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, a longtime aide to former President Duterte, and Badoy for feedback, however none had been acquired as of this posting.
In October 2022, a examine launched at Harvard University confirmed how “influence operations” and disinformation improvements had impacted the 2022 Philippine elections.
The examine, titled “Parallel Public Spheres: Influence Operations in the 2022 Philippine Elections,” said that affect operations ushered of their “most harmful” impact on wholesome political deliberation in the course of the elections, which “stoked political fandoms’ biases and aggravated tendencies for affective polarization.”
In May 2022, fact-checking group Tsek.ph mentioned Robredo and Marcos remained the first targets of disinformation within the presidential race, with false or deceptive details about Marcos being favorable to him whereas the disinformation concentrating on Robredo was damaging. — VBL, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
