“The script is as predictable as it is tired: every time the political season intensifies, the narrative of ‘decapitating’ the so-called ‘trolls’ of the Duterte administration makes its rounds. I have seen these headlines before, frequently filled with malicious innuendos and a desperate attempt to ignore the reality of genuine public support. By dismissing the President’s supporters as mere ‘trolls’ or paid hacks, the opposition only deepens the chasm between themselves and the people they claim to serve. This series examines not just the personal attacks directed at me, but the fundamental disconnect within an opposition that prefers to blame a manufactured villain rather than confront its own political failures.”
Nic Gabunada
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Decapitating the ‘trolls’ of Duterte
Fifth of a series
By Edwin Espejo
June 30, 2021
Despite the long absence of Gabunada from Facebook and the disabling of ‘hundreds’ of pro-Duterte accounts and pages, Duterte’s netizen supporters continue to dominate the social network platform.
It is with this sustained and continuing dominance that contributed to the bad beating of the opposition candidates in the 2019 mid-term elections. None of the Liberal Party candidates in its senatorial slate, including incumbents, won.
Moreover, despite the incessant attacks on Duterte, his popularity rating has never been dented and he continues to maintain a high trust rating from Day One and at noon exactly a year today before his presidency expires in 2022.
Unable to penetrate the almost impregnable gauntlet Duterte has built over the years, his critics are back targeting the core of Duterte supporters including their perceived ‘operators.’
It is by no mere coincidence that Gabunada is again being targeted as the political season is again heating up.
The contract he signed with the Department of Finance was maliciously filled with innuendos and the double entendre by the mainstream media in their headlines. It was not after Gabunada hit back with a statement that his lawyers are evaluating the stories did they reach out to him and get his side. But not after publishing them without even attempting to interview him.
