CEBU CITY – Be it on social media or on the ground, Cebu gubernatorial candidate Ace Durano is calling for a fair and clean election campaign.
Durano issued the call after the Facebook page named Ace Durano-Junjun Davide was taken down after "mass reporting" from certain Facebook accounts on Wednesday, November 17.
Durano of Partido Pilipino-BAKUD part said that while political campaigns have long been marred with black propaganda and dirty tactics, a clean political campaign remains possible.
"The key to a clean and peaceful campaign is for all candidates, no matter their political alliances, to commit that they'll do their part to a fair and clean campaign. I commit to this because I believe Cebuanos deserve a peaceful campaign," Durano said.
"Cebuanos deserve to hear the platforms of all candidates who will potentially be their leaders. As a voter myself, I know that we all deserve to know who are running this 2022 elections. If we resort to dirty campaigning, it wouldn't be fair to the Cebuanos," he added.
Durano revealed that last month, their campaign posters in some towns in northern Cebu were slashed and torn.
It was followed by the mass reporting of their Facebook page.
The Facebook page was launched on Oct. 7, 2021 when Durano and Davide filed their Certificate of Candidacies for governor and vice governor, respectively.
Durano’s camp said the Facebook page was already gaining traction and just launched a jingle contest, which had already 20,000 views in less than eight hours, when the page was suddenly reported.
According to Facebook's guidelines, the platform takes down accounts when it's reported for graphic violence, hate speech, harassment, bullying, nudity, sexual activity and sexual exploitation.
"The page only posted our activities around the Province and our platforms. Nothing that would constitute grounds for it to be reported. So the concerted effort of those behind the mass reporting is designed so the people would not know our programs and the growing support we're getting all over the Province," said Durano.