PTV to probe #dutertepalpak hashtag in tweet

MANILA, Philippines — State-run People’s Television (PTV) network yesterday vowed to impose disciplinary action on those who posted an anti-Duterte hashtag on its Twitter account.

The government station’s Twitter account (@PTVph) stirred online buzz Tuesday night after one of its tweets contained the hashtag #dutertepalpak, which is being used by those who are critical of the administration’s pandemic response.

The hashtag, which accused President Duterte of incompetence, was included in a tweet about the Chief Executive’s directive to provide free masks to the public, especially those who cannot afford to buy one.

A few hours after the tweet was posted, PTV issued a statement saying that the intent behind what it called the “malicious post” is being investigated. The network also apologized for the tweet.

In an updated statement posted yesterday morning, PTV said the “erroneous message” was inadvertently posted by its new media team and was a result of “predictive systems in the text entry phase” and “a failure to adequately review and screen the messages that actually got posted.”

“PTV New Media deeply regrets the error and (takes) full responsibility for the oversight,” it said.

“The management will certainly institute disciplinary actions against members of the social media team who are behind the erroneous posting,” it added.

It was not the first time state-run media courted controversies.

In 2017, the Philippine News Agency drew flak over a series of blunders, including the placing of a Vietnam War photo in a report about the Marawi siege and the posting of an editorial of Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua that was critical of the arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s claim over the South China Sea and affirmed the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone.