social media – Page 11 – Katrina Stuart Santiago

It was in early August when I was asked to be convenor of the Movement Against Tyranny (MAT), a multi-sectoral gathering of various groups and individuals who are taking a stand against the killings, the state of tyranny, and the return of dictatorship.

Admittedly, I was hesitant about saying yes. I was not part of any organization, and was being invited primarily as independent writer. At this point I had already resigned my column with The Manila Times, which I realized afterwards was a security blanket I didn’t ask for — I was rarely the target of pro-government trolls and propagandists, and I would be told by a highly reliable source that it’s because the paper is considered “kakampi.”

While I was deciding on whether or not to say yes to MAT, Kian delos Santos was killed by policemen, adding to the thousands dead in the war on drugs. The Cultural Workers’ Statement (dated August 20) was written, gained traction, and has since gathered 1,279 signatures (and counting) from cultural workers across advertising, TV, film, theater, music, dance, visual arts, education, journalism, writing, comics, graphic design, social sciences. People I didn’t expect would put their names on that statement, actually did. There was hope, I thought. (more…)

President Duterte is trying very hard to spin the September 21 protest in Luneta, by trying to feed whatever divisions already exist, if not by sowing fear in a gathering that government expects will be massive.

One can only take this well. After all, it reveals an acknowledgment of the very valid demand to #StopTheKillings and to say no to tyranny and the return of dictatorship. At the very least, it’s an acknowledgment of how government is being affected by the growing public outcry against the killings. It also reveals that Duterte just does not know how to handle this courageous collective that is taking a stand against the current culture of violence which his government has encouraged.

The best part: when Duterte tries to handle it, he does so by threatening us with a Martial Law declaration and the use of force against citizens. What does that do but prove us all correct about this culture of violence, Presidential rhetoric included?

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It reeks of desperation, the President now asserting that there is someone out to get his government and / or its war on drugs, which to him is proven by the corpses turning up with heads wrapped in tape.

“The police would not wrap (victims). That is not the job of the police to…you wrap, that’s foolishness. So there are saboteurs. <…> That’s why I have said to, the PNP Chief is here, to closely look into this because we are being sabotaged.”

Sabotaged? It sounds like the President is merely echoing his supporters about a (dilawan) destabilization plot against him, which is really nothing more than an excuse that absolves government of all responsibility for the state of violence on our streets, police brutality included. If we let this pass, and allow Duterte to imagine we believe this narrative to be true, then the next thing we know everything wrong with this government will be blamed on sabotage.

Taguiwalao and Mariano not confirmed? Sabotage! The Senate refuses the terrible National Budget that D(uterte)-House of Representatives is putting together where Oplan Tokhang gets BILLIONS in funding? Sabotage! The Senate puts into question the impeachment of Sereno and Morales? Sabotage! People rally out on the streets against the killings and this culture of violence? Sabotage! And of course the expected (and already articulated outcome): Duterte must now declare Martial Law because look! Saboteurs all around!

We can see through this strategy. And this is so easy to discredit using Duterte’s own words.
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There is much to be said about a properly envisioned, well-planned communications strategy, one that’s paid for by public funds and seeks to serve the whole country by providing us with relevant critical information about government. And then there is Presidential Communications according to Martin Andanar and Mocha Uson, which is to say no communications, no information dissemination. They serve only the President, and the rest of us can just watch as our taxes are wasted on an office that refuses to understand its job.

Ah, but it seems a year in we are benefitting from this utter lack of control over communications and Presidential articulations. In August, one major event that none of us should forget: the President himself admitting that contrary to his articulations about ridding the country of drugs, he actually cannot control the entry of drugs into the country.

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If there’s anything the past week has revealed it’s the slow death of troll discourse. It’s entirely possible the social media armies aren’t being paid enough, but it’s also possible that we just have ceased to be afraid of being bullied online. The latter is my more optimistic perspective, because it’s been a year after all, and now more than ever, this government’s strategies of silencing and skewing discourse have been exposed to be nothing more than bad communications and terrible damage control.

The only reason it requires mention at this point in fact, is the existence of one Mocha Uson, whose behavior has not evolved from being rabid Duterte supporter during the campaign to being a government employee whose salary is being paid for by public funds. The latter behooves us all to critique her and her actions — as we should all government officials, especially when they continue to be a source not just of falsity and hate, but also — and more importantly — the most terrible kind of propaganda that justifies the killings of thousands. (more…)

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