The military temporarily disabled some features of its Facebook page, including the comments section, amid concerns over troll activity.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday, November 27, announced that the social media initiative was done “to deny trolls a platform for their suspicious activities.”
“Troll farms are a menace to society and we choose not to empower inauthentic actors in their coordinated attempt to spread disinformation and malinformation,” the AFP said in a statement.
An internet troll refers to someone who intentionally leaves provocative or offensive messages online to attract attention, cause trouble, or upset someone.
Apart from the comments feature, trolls also use reactions to advance their agenda.
This includes reacting to Facebook posts with laughing or the “haha” reaction in an attempt to irritate or anger the receiving party, especially if the laughing reaction is socially inappropriate.
The AFP apologized to its “legitimate” followers for the temporary measure and assured the public that statements and updates will continue to be posted on its Facebook page.
“We understand that legitimate followers will be affected by this temporary move. We extend our sincere apologies for the inconvenience and ask for your patience. We hope for your continued understanding and support,” it said.
“Statements, releases, and information on our activities will continue to be posted on our official channels and legitimate media organizations. We call on everyone to report malicious activities online and receive information from reputable sources only,” the AFP added.
A cursory look at some of AFP’s past posts reveals some of them receiving laugh reactions despite the seriousness or soberness of the post.
Sara and the AFP
Last Monday, the military tagged some online posts implicating them with Vice President Sara Duterte as “completely false and misleading.”
The AFP posted some screengrabs from TikTok which claimed that they had mobilized to “protect” Duterte in connection with the current events involving the vice president.
Duterte has been attracting attention with her “kill” remarks against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, her former running mate, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
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“There are no such operations being conducted by the AFP in relation to these claims,” the military said on November 25.
“The videos being shared online are taken from previous operations and are being misrepresented as current events, further fueling confusion. These videos are unrelated to the present situation and do not reflect any ongoing AFP activities,” the AFP added.
The military said it “remains focused on fulfilling its mandate with professionalism, dedication, and loyalty to the Constitution and the Chain of Command.”
“Attempts to undermine our military and democratic institutions with these fraudulent posts will not be tolerated,” the AFP added.
Rodrigo on AFP
On November 25, former president Rodrigo Duterte sought the military and police’s intervention to “protect the Constitution” amid what he described as a “fractured” government.
He made the comment after coming to the defense of the Office of the Vice President (OVP)’s chief of staff Zuleika Lopez, who was previously cited in contempt by the House of Representatives.
“How does the military protect the Constitution? By protecting a ‘drug addict’ president?” Rodrigo asked early this week, referring to Marcos.
He stopped short of advocating for a military junta as he challenged the military to take a firm stand.
AFP’s response
Meanwhile, the AFP said that it remains loyal to the Philippine Constitution and not to any political figure amid tensions between the Marcos and the Duterte camp.
“May panawagan na mag-intervene ang AFP sa nangyayari sa ating pulitika ngayon dito sa ating bayan,” AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said on Wednesday.
“But hindi po natin trabaho ‘yun. Ang trabaho natin is to protect the Republic of the Philippines, protect its people, defend our territory, and defend our sovereignty and our sovereign rights,” he added.
“We will not take the law into our own hands. We will remain professional. Kung gusto po nilang may pagbabago, meron naman tayong proseso sa ating demokrasya,” Brawner said.
The 1987 Philippine Constitution states that the AFP “is the protector of the people and the State.”
“Its goal is to secure the sovereignty of the State and the integrity of the national territory,” it said in Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution.
Article XVI, Section 5.3 also states that the “armed forces shall be insulated from partisan politics.”
“No member of the military shall engage directly or indirectly in any partisan political activity, except to vote,” part of the Constitution said.
