The anti-Duterte leaders and followers have falsely credited the ‘trolls’ of Duterte as being the reason why president Duterte’s popularity and trust rating remain in record fashion. But they failed to recognize their own deficiency.
That is where the opposition is failing in the first place. It arrogates upon itself as guardian of morality and political righteousness. In so doing, it effectively built a wall between itself and the people it purports to serve and defend.
Collectively calling Duterte’s social media supporters as trolls is a serious disconnect. Dismissing them as a bunch paid hacks is a middle class arrogance and display of intellectual snootiness.
Edwin Espejo addresses this in his last of the seven series of articles originally published on Facebook in June/July 2021
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Decapitating the ‘trolls’ of Duterte
Last (7) of a Series
Edwin Espejo
July 3, 2021
The renewed assault against Gabunada and the so called Duterte trolls is nothing new. In fact, expect it to intensify in the coming months.
This has been happening since the first year of the Duterte administration.
If the opposition thinks it will work this time, it is committing a fatal mistake.
It failed to prevent the rise of Duterte in 2016. On the contrary, it may have given rise to his ascendance.
It failed again in 2019 by using the same worn and repudiated narrative of decency and continuity of its rejected leadership.
It has falsely credited the ‘trolls’ of Duterte as being the reason why president Duterte’s popularity and trust rating remain in record fashion.
What it failed to recognize is its own deficiency.
That is where the opposition is failing in the first place. It arrogates upon itself as guardian of morality and political righteousness. In so doing, it effectively built a wall between itself and the people it purports to serve and defend.
Collectively calling Duterte’s social media supporters as trolls is a serious disconnect. Dismissing them as a bunch paid hacks is a middle class arrogance and display of intellectual snootiness.
Instead of reflecting and assessing where it failed, it continues to cling on to a narrative that only solidified the conviction of the supporters of Duterte that many personalities in the opposition are nothing but sore losers who want to reclaim their lost privileged status.
The opposition can only hope that in the next 12 months or so that its futile efforts will yield a different result.
It is like asking the sun to rise from the west.
Good luck.