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MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte questions the continued operation of Facebook in the Philippines after the social media company removed several government “defense” pages, including those created by the military and police.
“What would be the point of allowing him to continue if he can’t help us? Duterte said in a prerecorded speech broadcast Monday night. “It is so complicated that I cannot understand. But put it this way: tell me why I can’t use [Facebook] for the benefit of the people?
“If the government can’t use it for the good of the people, then we have to speak up. We have to speak with common sense, “he added.
On September 23, Facebook’s head of security policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, announced that the social media platform had removed two networks for coordinated inauthentic behavior (CIB), or for using a large number of fake accounts to operate.
One of the networks dates back to the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
In reaction, Duterte said Facebook appeared to believe accusations by leftists who were critical of his administration.
“Even the defense of the government was eliminated. So what is the purpose of you being here? Facebook, listen to me: we allow you to operate here hoping that you too can help us, ”Duterte said.
“Now if the government cannot embrace or defend something that is for the good of the people, then what is its purpose here in my country? And then you are cheering on the left, then you believe in the left, ”he added.
According to Gleicher, the pages that were removed contained posts critical of the opposition, activists and the ideals of communism.
But the content of the posts was not the basis for removing the accounts, he said. They were removed because the posts appeared to be intended to trick Facebook users into thinking the accounts belonged to real people.
The other network removed by Facebook dates back to a group of people in China’s Fujian province. This network had sites with publications in Filipino expressing their support for President Rodrigo Duterte and the possible presidential candidacy in 2022 of his daughter, the mayor of the city of Davao, Sara Duterte-Carpio.
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