Philippines is "Patient Zero" in Social Media Disinformation

The Marcos regime is well on its way to cracking down on Vloggers who peddle disinformation in the country from outright lies, to propaganda favoring former President Rodrigo Duterte.

But there is a thin line between filing cyber-libel cases and exercising censorship.

Personally, as an individual Filipino, I feel nothing when I saw these youtube vloggers crying their hearts out in the Congressional hearings where they were grilled as to why they post videos of outright lies.

They reportedly earn Php 20,000 a DAY (roughly $347.65 USD/a Day), and all they have to do is to concoct a tale of this and that about their demi-god idol, Duterte.

This period is a critical correction period where the government could either underwhelm and let these vloggers go, with a slap on the wrist, or set an example of them.

I've had my share of fake news being shared to me by neighbors - even false information about volcanic eruptions when there aren't any. The effects of fake news is pernicious, but so is censorship.

After all, it's the trademark of the Marcoses to exhibit dictatorial tendencies.