EDITORIAL - Falsehoods, lies, and untruths

With emotions still running high following the incarceration of former president Rodrigo Duterte in The Hague for crimes against humanity, his supporters and detractors have taken to social media to air their feelings and grievances.

But aside from posts, many of these based on pure emotion alone, fake news and false information have also been making rounds in social media.

Some netizens are spreading video of an alleged rally for Duterte in the Netherlands. But if you look closely, most of the protesters are actually Caucasians and not Filipinos. They were also waving flags that nowhere resembled the Philippine flag. In truth it was the video of a rally by Serbian students.

Other netizens posted a video of an alleged prayer rally in Cebu for Duterte, attended by dozens of thousands. While the numbers were impressive, it actually turned out to be the Walk with Mary event of the Fiesta Señor.

Then there was the post allegedly from Russia President Vladimir Putin calling for the release of Duterte as one of his conditions for continuing peace talks with Ukraine. No such statement was issued by Putin, who himself is another contender for ICC arrest.

But the deception isn’t limited to pro-Duterte netizens.

Those who are calling for justice for victims of extra-judicial killings have spread photos of people who allegedly died during the previous administration.

Not all of the photos are legit, some victims died under totally different circumstances outside the Philippines. Others were of people shot dead during this administration.  

There are also fake testimonies from those who allegedly witnessed extra-judicial killings.

Let’s face it, it’s very easy to find photos of people who have died violently then pass them off as people who died during a particular time. It is also easy to concoct a totally fictitious narrative and say it happened to a certain person during a particular time.

In this day and age, false information can inflame passions and spread quickly.

There is no doubt that Duterte continues to enjoy immense popularity among his followers in all places across the country, but there are also those who thirst for justice for the things done during his administration. There is really no need for both sides to further muddle the situation and stoke more discord with falsehoods, lies, and untruths.