“Payag ba tayo na hulmahin ng social media ang ating mga values bilang mga Pilipino? Lalo na ang ating mga kabataan (Will we allow social media to mold our values as Filipinos? Especially that of our youth)?”
Basilan lone district Rep. Mujiv Hataman posed this question in a privilege speech before the House plenary, as he addressed the brutal shooting that took place at the Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) campus last Sunday, July 24.
Hataman, in his speech on Tuesday, Aug. 2, highlighted the reaction of social media users to the situation. He lamented that many netizens had taken to defending ADMU shooter Chao-Tiao Yumol.
Specifically, Hataman cited a report by another online news outlet wherein 56.6 percent of Facebook posts and 45.4 percent of Youtube videos made on the shooting had expressed sentiments of support toward Yumol.
Hataman went on to ask his House colleagues four questions:
“Una, kung pareho nating nakikitang mali ang pagpuri at pagsuporta sa isang krimen sa social media, ano ang pwede nating gawin tungkol dito (First, if we see that glorifying and supporting crimes on social media is wrong, what can we do about it)?”
“Pangalawa, payag ba tayo na hulmahin ng social media ang ating mga values bilang mga Pilipino? Lalo na ang ating mga kabataan (Second, will we allow social media to mold our values as Filipinos? Especially that of our youth)?”
“Pangatlo, dahil ang mga kabataan at mga anak natin ay nasa social media na rin, paano natin sila mapapangalagaan laban sa iligal at imoral na mga prinsipyo at paniniwala? (Third, because our youth is on social media, how can we protect them from illegal and immoral principals and beliefs)?”
“Papayag na lang ba tayo na ang ating mga anak, ang mga kabataan, ay tatanggapin na lang na tama ang kumitil ng buhay (Will we allow our youth to believe that it’s okay to kill)?” Hataman said.
The Basilan lawmaker even enumerated social media reactions that he himself had observed:
“Sacrifice ang ginawa ni doc (The doc made a sacrifice), I salute you, alam namin ang naramdaman mo para sa lahat. Ikaw ay isang sundalo doc sa bayan mo (We know what you feel for us. You are a soldier of your country),” Hataman said, reading comments from a list.
“May ipinaglalaban ang doctor, pakinggan niyo kasi ang sinasabi niya (The doctor is fighting for something, listen to what he is saying).”
“Magkaroon tayo ng UNITY para kay Dr. Chao-Tiao Yumol na mapawalang sala. Ikaw ay aming bayani (Let us have UNITY for the release of Yumol. You are our hero),” he said. The Mindanao solon frowned over these statements.
Yumol killed former Lamitan, Basilan Mayor Rose Furigay; Furigay’s aide Victor Capistrano; and ADMU Security Guard Jeneven Bandiala. He also wounded ex-Mayor Furigay’s daughter.
Read:
https://mb.com.ph/2022/07/26/cops-file-3-counts-of-murder-other-charges-vs-ateneo-gunman/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/07/26/live-in-partner-of-slain-ateneo-security-guard-calls-for-justice/