2 weeks Ago By N/A (Raymund Antonio)
An “orchestrated” and “well-funded” disinformation campaign was what former senator and senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan called the latest viral video on social media showing him eating rice and carabao milk on a pot cover that has garnered criticisms from netizens.Former senator Kiko Pangilinan pours carabao milk into rice while eating on a pot cover in San Luis, Pampanga. (Screengrab from Kiko Pangilinan Facebook video) In a Facebook Live on Saturday, April 12, the former senator decried the online attacks by trolls to sabotage his senatorial campaign.
He also appealed to those behind such disinformation to fight fair. “So, kapansin-pansin at maliwanag na (It is noticeable and clear) recently, more so viciously, we have been subjected to trolling, bashing, and organized and orchestrated way na clearly hindi ito (that is clearly not) online organic audiences kung hindi most likely base sa ating nakikita (but most likely, based on what we see), orchestrated, well-funded machinery para siraan ang ating kampanya (to destroy our campaign),” he said. “Ang appeal natin, unang-una sa mga kandidato na nasa likod nito, sana gastusan na lang ninyo (na) ipakilala ang sarili niyo at ipakilala ang inyong mga nagawa, inyong mga resibo (Our appeal first to the candidates behind this is to spend your money to introduce yourself and what you have done, your receipts,” he added, though he did not mention which candidates he was pertaining to.
He called the disinformation campaign against him as “desperate” as criticized rival candidates who are ready to spend millions of pesos to defame him. “Yun ba ang dapat ihalal (Is that someone who we should vote for)?,” the former senator asked. Pangilinan recently became the subject of ridicule and criticisms on social media after he was seen eating from a pot cover in a food blog collaboration with social media personality Romeo Catacutan.
But in one of the videos, Catacutan was heard asking someone to hand the former senator a pot cover so he could eat the rice and carabao milk properly. The former official expressed dismay that something as simple as his food blog was turned into a major issue while the campaigns of corrupt candidates go by smoothly. But for him, the fact that the viral video has circulated on various social media pages at the same time meant the comments and reactions were not organic.
He also pointed out that most of the laughing reactions on the viral video were from Vietnamese-sounding names. With the Election Day getting nearer, Pangilinan appealed both to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the voters, and his supporters to remain vigilant against all kinds of disinformation online. “Don’t attack them.
Ikalat natin katotohonan tungkol sa atin, tungkol sa atin kandidatura, tungkol sa nagawa natin (Let us spread the truth about me, about my candidacy, about what I have done),” the former senator told his supporters. “To our voters and our supporters, be vigilant. Let us not share right away itong paninira.
” He also called on the poll body to work together with social media companies, such as Meta (Facebook) and TikTok, to address the widespread and massive disinformation, trolling, and bashing. “Dapat dito hilingin ng Comelec sa FB o Google na i-deactivate o suspendihin ang mga troll accounts na ito hanggang matapos ang election (Comelec should ask FB or Google to deactivate or suspend the troll accounts until the end of the election),” he asked. He suggested for the Comelec to meet with Meta, Google, and others to ask them to act on the disinformation spreading on social media.
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