The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) deplored the decision of Facebook to warn National Security Adviser (NSA) Hermogenes Esperon Jr. over an April 14 post urging all Filipinos to unite to end communist insurgency.
DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya pointed to what he described as biased fact-checkers of Facebook as behind the decision.
“The imprudence of Facebook to warn Secretary Esperon on a national security issue is unthinkable and downright offensive as the social media platform has taken on the role of Big Brother with the power to censure the social media posts of the NSA himself on matters of national security,’’ Malaya said.
Malaya branded Facebook's move as alarming “if not dangerous as it has appointed itself as an omnipotent force that can censure at their discretion based on standards that they themselves created the legitimate posts of highly respected officials of the country.’’
The DILG and NTF-ELCAC spokesperson also questioned how Facebook and its fact checkers “seemed to be overly focused in calling out and restricting the accounts of government officials while turning a blind eye to others.’’
With these circumstances, Malaya urged the management of Facebook to revisit and modify its ‘so-called standards’ that he claimed are obviously one sided and serve to promote the interests of the few and powerful.
“They can start by consulting their users whose patronage of their platform has made their business thrive,’’ he added.
Malaya also called on Facebook to stick to its goal of helping people connect and engage and “to leave national security matters to the experts.’’ (Chito A. Chavez)