by Nimfa L. Estrellado Straight Talk I previously stated in my most recent article. I'll never tell you who I'm voting for. But I w...
Straight Talk
I previously stated in my most recent article. I'll never tell you who I'm voting for. But I will help you in deciding who to vote for.
As a journalist covering local elections, it can be frustrating because campaign websites are sometimes idle, and some candidates have no digital presence at all, or the websites frequently link to template defaults rather than the candidates' actual accounts.
For once, I'd like to see a politician run on his own merits rather than as a "pikon" or as a critic of another politician. Second, why do we all accept liars in politics? When are we going to stand up for our values and vote on the facts?
We are already in the midst of political advertisements, campaign financing events, and positioning by various candidates and their supporters by attacking their opponent's accomplishment record. Election advertisements frequently highlight the opponent's failure or alleged misrepresentation in their advertisements. These advertisements, in an uncomplicated manner, challenge their opponent's credibility and offer their perspective on their opponent's lies and distortions.
We are also currently in the midst of a global pandemic, and some are attempting to prevent the virus through an online-only campaign. Many candidates are confident in their ability to reach voters through the internet. However, supporters and candidates are not the same thing in this country. Bashing who you vote for based on how a few hundred, or even thousands, of people on social media treat others has nothing to do with the candidate.
Former Senator Ferdinand Emmanuel "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos, Jr.'s son Sandro Marcos has been attacked for his father's filing of candidacy for president, apparently because he is the son of Bong Bong. An online Student Congress featuring Sandro Marcos devolves into a protest. On October 4, a few students demonstrated against historical revisionism at the Commission on Higher Education Cordillera office Student Congress, which featured Sandro Marcos as the keynote speaker. The two-day forum was held to address college students' educational concerns.
Sandro was invited to speak on "Redefining Youth's Role in Nation Building." According to posts by Twitter user RJ Naguit, some participants on the said forum changed their names to "Never Again," "#MarcosMagnanakaw," and "Archimedes Trajano" in the middle of the session to thwart any attempts to revise it. Sandro is the late President Ferdinand Marcos' grandson. He previously declared his candidacy for the first congressional district of Ilocos Norte in the 2022 elections.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: there are requirements under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 before you can file a case against trolls and bashers, especially if we know the identity of the perpetrator.
Why do we need to know the identity of the basher or troll? Because, in other countries, such as the United States, there is a unique law governing accountability in relation to acts of online defamation – Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
In a nutshell, the statute exempts Internet service providers from defamation liability arising from user comments and content. That is why Facebook, the corporation, is not sued every time a Facebook user commits a libelous act on the platform.
As a result, a complainant cannot compel Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to reveal the identity of the basher or troll. If you know the identity of the basher or troll you want punished, you must come forward and assist in identifying the anonymous account, as well as be willing to stand as a witness.
However, instead of chastising bashers, which has become a normal part of being a political public figure, they should concentrate on the issues at hand. This is not the time to be thick-skinned and deflect every troll and basher.
Politics in the Philippines today is primarily about money and dynasties. In the land of the free, money rules come first, and social agendas usually come second. This is what happens when we keep re-electing families who have made a career and dynasty out of politics.
Another thing is that a fair support for running candidates does not necessitate cursing at another party in order to make the party you support stand out. Even if you vote for someone else, you should not be certain that you will win because the voting itself is fraudulent.
Nothing can be done with social media if it is just noise with no meaning. More information is available at COMELECta and SmartMagic. Every time there is an election in the Philippines, democracy is rendered ineffective, believe me.
The true election is one in which a public school teacher and a businessman have an equal chance of winning or the incompetence of a lawyer and a farmer. Democracy also entails a level playing field for all.
Most Filipinos in the era of Covid-19 believe that the most important challenge for the next leaders is to improve our economy and create more jobs. Yes, people need to eat, and having a job to make money is essential; however, there is rarely any discussion about the quality of people's lives, and how to make better people who can help solve our current societal problems.
Candidates with a longer on-ramp before an election tend to have a significant strategic advantage in an era of technology-intensive campaigning.
Politically, the protection of personal data and privacy will be more important than ever. Covid-19 will hasten the transition to digital campaigning and online voter targeting. Because of ambiguities in data control, the sitting government at the Centre will have an advantage.
The dominant narratives about the current problem of "fake news" and cyber-propaganda have focused on how it has evolved and manifested in tandem with populist politics, digital capitalism, the public realm revolution, and structural issues.
The problem here is lies, and cult acceptance of lies. Cult lies cannot be countered with information. Information is only relevant after you have met the recipient's emotional needs better than the cult.
Please check the voting record of any incumbent before casting your ballot. It's simple to become an informed voter with the Internet!
