2022 Philippines Presidential Election: Fake Accounts, Bots and Trolls

Social media has become an important campaign tool in the 2022 Philippines Presidential Elections. Despite the campaign only officially kicking off on 8 February 2022, social media was already used in the run up to nominations in late 2021. Just days before the kick-off, on 3 February 2022, Philippines lawmakers approved the ‘Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act’ that compels social media users to register their legal identities and phone numbers when creating new accounts. This came on the back of fake accounts, bots and ‘trolls’ being used to manipulate the online space. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has avoided mainstream media invitations or forums with other candidates, opted instead to invest heavily on social media campaigns to communicate directly ‘to the people’. Other candidates, with significantly less social media presence, have failed to capture such a wide online audience, with some being targeted by the predominant pro-Marcos Jr. accounts. On 3 May 2022, with a week to go on campaign trail, to mark World Press Freedom Day, Asia Centre will convene roundtable discussion to examine the impact of social media on media freedoms and election campaigns.

Opening Remarks:
Vanessa Steinmetz, Regional Project Coordinator, Friedrich Naumann Foundation (East and Southeast Asia)
Dr James Gomez, Regional Director, Asia Centre

Speakers:
– Marites Vitug, Editor-at-large, Rappler
– Krixia Subingsubing, Journalist, Philippine Daily Inquirer
– Greg Kehailia, Country Director, Internews Philippines
– Eunice Barbara C Novio, Correspondent, Inquirer.net

Reactors:
– Joel Mark Barredo, Executive Director, SHAPE-SEA Secretariat, Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University
– Asst. Prof. Dr. Analiza Perez-Amurao, Chair, Humanities and Language Division, Mahidol University International College
– Ed Legaspi, Former Executive Director, Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA)

Date: 3 May 2022

Venue: ONLINE (Zoom)

Time: 3.00 PM – 4:30 PM(Bangkok, Thailand GMT+7),

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/ydAbQBy7fpnkaney7

Contact: contact@asiacentre.org

Facebook event page: https://fb.me/e/22ois2saC