The Philippine elections are getting closer and the voice of the youth has never been louder, the eagerness of the younger generation to change the course of the Philippine administration has encouraged a lot more Filipinos to register to vote; our call for our own, and those in power’s accountability has resulted in the extension of the 2021 voter registration. But is it enough for the good guys to take home the bacon? The 2022 elections bring anxiety into the hearts of those who will be living in this country for longer than most, the youth; and without the intention of generalising there is a tall wall of boomers and a large arsenal of trolls that are trying to get in the way.
Filipinos with internet access spent the most time online in the world (We are Social, 2017), and it shows how powerful online platforms are in creating cultural and political biases, Tapsel (2021) says that since 2014 the platform Facebook has grown rapidly in market share. Having an avenue to share your views and opinions about politics and culture with an audience of all generations in which some are considered to be easier to sway can provide a throne to the most pretentious candidates; I would be lying if I said that the 2016 Duterte campaign did not make me believe that he was the deserving candidate, although I wasn’t registered to vote then, I am guilty of sharing my thoughts online about the head of this far from perfect administration. Curato (2017) says that Randy David, a Filipino journalist described Duterte’s campaign as “pure theatre – a sensual experience rather than the rational application of ideas to society’s problem”. I fully agree since as a pre-adult at that time I was always looking for something that would excite me and if I’m being honest, if I were a registered voter then I would have probably voted for him; it was the bold promises that would blind your ever hopeful for a better tomorrow soul, and the blunt way of speaking that would make you believe that there was not a lie hidden behind his already scandalous language.
Growing up in politics, I got to see how campaigns worked, from campaigning for my dad to witnessing him do his job as a campaign manager; It was never the way that Duterte’s party did, the underground campaigns have been there, but never on such a grand scale. I was able to witness the text brigades and block voting of some religious groups, if the competition was close it would be a matter of who was able to reach the most people in the most possible ways. There would be people who volunteer or are hired to just send out mass texts, same as what the Duterte campaign did as they utilized Facebook groups to focus on several collectives that would, later on, turn out to be the radical keyboard warriors we call as trolls. Ironically, this ‘underground’ campaign took place literally on one of the most accessible to masses, but they made it work; false news and misleading information took control of the minds of the people, the least secretive backhanded approach in manipulating the minds of the Filipino people.
Along with the no-faced trolls, came the people of influence and power that were blatantly expressing support in the actions of Duterte. It is a known fact that some celebrities without experience in public service were rewarded positions after their stint in campaigning for their beloved president, the best example would be Mocha Uson who was appointed as assistant secretary of the PCOO (Presidential Communications Operations Office); the decision made by the president sparked flames in social media as well as on the streets, however Pres. Duterte showed no remorse in robbing the Filipino people of their right to good government. It is also known in the music and media industry that some celebrities and artists received positions with high salaries in MTRCB; an insult to the respected people in the industry who practice their rights to express themselves, only to be curated and judged based on whether or not the material aligns with their political beliefs. The power of the president is shared only by those who worship him.
It both amazes and scares the living crap out of me that in the coming elections two Dutertes will be running for office, the daughter Sara for president and opposing along with Bong Go is Digong for vice president; In today’s world of politically confused masses, there’s no telling how big of an impact the youth can create in guiding the people towards the right vote. We are talking about the same portion of the Filipino people that support a mass murderer, those that are blinded by the wrongdoings of a leader because ‘those are his ways, they believe that the actions of the government are only out of ignorance; unknowing of the intent that comes with the actions that cripple our society. Tapsel (2021) had a chance to talk to one of the Cebu based social media producers, he said: “during the first few months we campaigned, we created about people being raped or being robbed and the former administration was not able to help them or like, the human rights has been defending animals” (Interview, 27, May 2019).
The killer combination of a large platform and personalities that had great influence became the breeding ground for information that caused people to think that politics is black or white, even more than before, they consider anyone who is not on their side to be on the opposition; there is no concept of indifference nor is there an acceptance of the claims that someone supports none other but the Filipino people. In reality, our people are open-minded, but we are also innately eager to side with someone; it is evident that although we as individuals are independent, our political views are still greatly affected by what surrounds us and what is shown to us. This blog is nothing but a rant and a call, a call to all the youth who want a better future and the elder who crave for a better present; stop waiting for views to be shown to you, seek for the truth, and learn who is worthy and not worthy of a seat in the administration; vote for a better tomorrow.
References:
Curato, N. (2017). Flirting with authoritarian fantasies? Rodrigo Duterte and the new terms of
Philippine populism. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 47(1), 1–12.
Tapsell (2021) Social Media and Elections in Southeast Asia: The
Emergence of Subversive, Underground Campaigning, Asian Studies Review, 45:1, 117-134, DOI:
10.1080/10357823.2020.1841093
TRTWorld. (2017). Anti-Duterte protest attracts thousands of Filipinos. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from Anti-Duterte protest attracts thousands of Filipinos website: https://www.trtworld.com/asia/anti-duterte-protest-attracts-thousands-of-filippinos-10717
We Are Social. (2017, 21 September). Time spent on the internet, global webindex based on a survey of internet users aged 16–64. https://wearesocial-net.s3.amazonaws.com/uk/wpcontent/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/Slide034.png
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