SAN JOSE, California (The Adobo Chronicles, San Jose Bureau) – It wasn’t totally unexpected. Adobo Chronicles’ satires have been critical of the political opposition and the biased news media. Now, Facebook has shut down its page.
Community standards or not, AC, although admittedly generally pro Duterte administration and pro Marcos and UniTeam, has hit the veins, nay, the nerves of the yellows, pinks and everyone in between.
Of late, AC has been humorously critical of ex-Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon who even threatened to send AC a subpoena, the Leni Robredo-Kiko Pangilinan campaign, Maria Ressa’s least-trusted news brand in the Philippines, Rappler. (Ressa is one of Facebook’s fact checkers). Their followers have attacked and threatened AC, proclaiming to the Internet kingdom that they have reported this satirical page to FB (or its designated local reps) and have called for its permanent closure.
That many in the opposition, including Rappler, don’t (or refuse to) understand satire is not the worst of the beast. It is the fact that Facebook itself caves in to their ignorance and luxurious whims. Nevermind that Rappler and the yellows and pinks brazenly spread lies on the Facebook platform. Nevermind that satire, just like editorial cartoons, are protected under the right and principles of free speech. Nevermind that Ressa’s lies, told a thousand times to the foreign media and circles, have won for her the now infamous Nobel Prize.
Earlier, Facebook has proudly announced that it has shut down over 400 accounts and pages for alleged violation of its community standards. They were mostly aligned with the government and the current administration. SMNI is been tagged. So has Director Darryl Yap’s Vincentiments.
And now, Adobo Chronicles.
It will not be the last.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
But fight back. Fight back!
