A PRIVATE prosecutor on Thursday described the rising volume of troll activity and personal attacks against its members as a “sign of desperation,” dismissing them as an attempt to distract from the evidence being presented in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte.
Lawyer Lorna Kapunan said the increasing number of troll accounts should not be mistaken for genuine public sentiment.
“Kung dumadami ’yung mga trolls, I think that is a sign of desperation. Frustrated na sila,” Kapunan said during a press briefing.
She said online campaigns can be artificially inflated through technology, allowing a handful of operators to create the impression of overwhelming support.
Kapunan also observed that attacks against the prosecution have shifted away from the legal issues surrounding the impeachment trial.
“Hindi na ’yung arguments, legal arguments or kung anong nangyari. Tinitira na nila personal na,” she said.
House prosecutor Joel Chua of Manila urged Filipinos to judge the impeachment case based on what unfolds before the Senate impeachment court rather than on social media.
“Alam mo kami sa prosecution, ’yung katotohanan lang ang gusto namin,” Chua said.
“Kaya nga dito pa lang makikita mo kung anong klase ’yung laban na ’to. Ito ay laban ng katotohanan at laban ng fake news,” he added.
Chua encouraged the public to follow the proceedings firsthand.
“Kaya nga po hinihikayat natin ’yung mga kababayan natin na subaybayan ang impeachment trial nang sa ganun ay hindi sila mapepeke,” he said.
He said the prosecution has made a conscious effort to explain the proceedings in simple terms to help the public separate facts from online disinformation.
Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V of La Union, meanwhile, said troll attacks have become less effective because more Filipinos can now recognize coordinated disinformation.
“Pag sinabi na ng tao, ’troll, fake news ‘yan,’ tumatawa na lang ’yung tao. Medyo hindi na masyadong kinakagat,” Ortega said.
He expressed confidence that facts presented before the impeachment court would ultimately outweigh online narratives.
“Sabi ko nga, wala namang tatalo sa… the truth is true and the truth is real. So doon natin po pagbabasehan ’yan,” Ortega said.
metrosundaily
