President Rodrigo R. Duterte has asked the social media giant, Facebook, to explain its decision to delete hundreds of FB accounts and pages of the military and groups supportive of government.
In his public address Monday night, the Chief Executive was saddened by FB’s move since the said groups aim to warn the public against communist groups. He insisted that Facebook has no right to impose policy on the government. The company and the government must help each other in eradicating insurgency and terrorism.
“But ito na lang, tell me kung bakit hindi ko magamit para sa kapakanan ng taong-bayan? (But tell me why I cannot use [Facebook] for the welfare of the citizens?) If government cannot use it for the good of the people, then we have to talk. We have to talk sense. If we are promoting the cause of the rebellion which is already – which or rather which was already here before you came- and so many thousands of my soldiers and civilians dying, then if you cannot reconcile the idea of what your purpose is or was, then we have to talk. I don’t know what I will do, but we have to talk,” the President emphasized. – Report from Naomi Tiburcio