Former Philippine National Police chief and senatorial candidate Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar urged the Filipino youth to stand their ground in fighting for truth and responsible use of social media amid the proliferation of fake news and disinformation especially in the social media.
He was reacting to the call of the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and other groups on the need for everybody to be discerning on the information they would come across in the social media, and the need to be responsible in the use of these platforms to prevent the proliferation of wrong information online.
“Clearly, the misinformation and disinformation in cyberspace are targeting the youth as they are the most active, yet, most vulnerable, in social media,” said Eleazar.
“So my advise to the Filipino youth is that they should not let trolls and misguided social media influencers scare you and most importantly, don’t let them insult your intelligence,” he added.
Eleazar, who used to head the PNP's Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) said that compared to the past, the young generation has all the means to access the right information in social media through search engines that could lead them to credible sources of information.
This makes the youth of today wield power to be more informed and more aware of the social problems, and eventually mold their opinion and stir their mind into thinking of ways in improving their role in nation-building, according to Eleazar.
Eleazar emphasized the need for the youth to stand up for truth, explaining that allowing peddlers of fake news and keyboard warriors of disinformation to dominate the social media would lead to a brainwashed society that is subservient to the interests of a few who want to control the government’s power and the country’s economy.
“Kung noon ay nakipaglaban ang napakaraming kabataang Pilpino, kabilang ang ating bayaning si Gregorio del Pilar, para sa kalayaan ng ating bansa, muling kinakailangan ng ating bansa ang mga kabataan na maninindigan para sa katotohanan at mga kabataang makikipaglaban para sa tama "There wer a lot of Filipino youth in the past, including Gregorio del Pilar, who fought for the freedom of the country. Our country needs the youth again to stand up for truth and to fight for what is right),” said Eleazar.
“In the cyberworld full of trolls and misguided influencers, be the present day young katipuneros who would stand up and fight for what is right,” he added.
Eleazar also vowed to push for accountability of social media giants for what they allow to post in their respective platforms.
He said that the power of information that comes with the youth’s being tech-savvy can also be used to educate the older generation including their parents and other family members, relatives, and even their social media “friends,” “followers,” or “subscribers” whenever they see misleading contents.
He, however, emphasized the need for proper guidance from home and other sectors in the society, particularly the academe, to strengthen the moral foundation of the youth that serves as the strong shield against disinformation online.
“With all the information you need already available in our gadget, the Filipino youth of today should be the brightest and well-informed sector of our society. What is needed is proper guidance that should be provided in our home and in our schools,” said Eleazar.