Sadly, the Philippines has become the epicenter of troll farms that manipulate public opinion and attack political rivals. One recent troll (Niki Perez) recently posted something disturbing against former Vice President Leni Robredo, who normally disregards such attacks. He (or she) maliciously implied that the current Naga City mayor frequently visits Manila rather surreptitiously instead of attending to her constituents in the major city of Camarines Sur.
Perhaps fed up, former VP Leni responded and explained that she usually declines invitations whenever they are outside Naga City. She goes to Manila for official reasons such as when she has to talk to relevant officials to promote Naga, the result of such visits is more than P1 billion of support from the national government and private partners.
Such distorted post in social media is one of so many against certain individuals who are targeted by organized bloggers, hiding under the mantle of free speech.
Unfortunately, the rise of social media has given birth to the dark world of organized troll farms. In the past decade, these manufacturers of false narratives have managed to manipulate public opinion. While technology has changed dramatically, the human frailties of hypocrisy and deception remain in earnest.
Enter the pink slime websites that exploit areas without strong local journalism to spread heavily biased political propaganda, designed to look like trusted community reporting. One investigative report recently exposed a site (Pilipinas Today) with very dubious origins and a sponsor known in the political circles as an ‘operator.’
The pink slime websites often undermine public trust in journalism since they try to appear as legitimate news channels when in truth, they report facts, heavily slanted in favor of a politician, tantamount to disinformation.
As a result of the proliferation of digital deception, the Lower House approved House Bill No. 9465 to address troll farms and automated bot networks. If it becomes a law, this Digital Media Anti-False Information Act will reportedly require major digital platforms to disclose sponsored political material.
Another pending measure, House Bill No. 11178, aims to punish troll farm operations with six to 12 years of prison time and multimillion-peso fines. If the bill becomes a law, it will explicitly disqualify political candidates who knowingly benefit from their activities.
Politicians are not to be condemned if they make use of social media in their campaigns. But they should be, once they abuse the right of free speech and wittingly spread fake news about themselves or about their opponents.
In biblical history, the Pharisees were not condemned simply because they were Pharisees. They were rebuked because they were hypocrites. While a number of Pharisees were sincere in their devotion, most outwardly appeared righteous but concealed inward corruption. They were more concerned with appearances than truth, more interested in preserving influence than pursuing justice.
That distinction is important since not everyone who disagrees with us is a troll, just as not every Pharisee deserved condemnation. I have some classmates in the PMA who regularly reply to my posts in social media in utter disagreement. Yet, I see these conversations as meaningful debate and part of free speech. They are far from being trolls, although I have my own experience with trolls who rabidly attack me whenever triggered by my perspectives about certain politicians.
A troll farm is composed of fake accounts masquerading as concerned citizens that collectively create the illusion of widespread support or outrage. Lies are repeated until they become mistaken for truth. Character assassination replaces reasoned debate. Volume substitutes for evidence.
This strategy closely resembles to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees that Jesus Christ exposed. ‘You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.’ (Matthew 23:27-28).
The Pharisees sought prominence and the praise of men while neglecting justice and faithfulness. Similarly, troll operators and those behind them seek influence and power rather than service and understanding. Their success is measured not by whether what they publish is true, but by whether it goes viral. They manipulate emotions because outrage spreads faster than facts.
I know of one politician who supposedly preaches patriotism while spreading utter lies about the West Philippine Sea. One other influencer claims to defend democracy and free speech but suppresses dissent through coordinated harassment whenever someone disagrees with her post.
The similarity lies not in ideology but in conduct. The Pharisees burdened people with heavy loads while refusing to lift a finger to help them. Modern disinformation campaigns burden society with confusion, distrust, and division while avoiding accountability for the damage they inflict. Anonymous accounts disappear overnight, but the falsehoods they spread often remain.
Jesus Christ also warned against blind guides leading others into error. In the digital age, one fabricated story can reach millions before a correction reaches thousands. Every share, every repost, and every careless click can contribute to the spread of falsehood. But the responsibility does not rest solely with the creators of deceptive content. It also belongs to the consumers who use and spread the content.
Many users, some even highly educated, forward sensational posts without verifying them, especially when they confirm existing beliefs. The best antidote is discernment. Responsible journalists suggest that readers of social media reports should do some lateral reading to investigate whether the site or account is trustworthy. If the account owner has political tendencies and lacks obvious objectivity, the source is probably not legitimate news reporting.
Reliable social media sites usually have balance in their stories and have less overly sensational headlines. If the account owner has dubious records of previous posts, then readers should think twice or thrice before believing and sharing such posts as truth.
My pastor-mentor Albert Pelea consistently pointed me back to truth, humility, and integrity, just as Jesus Christ did while here on earth. Those values should guide our conduct online as much as they guide our conduct in person. Before sharing a post, we should ask ourselves whether it is true, whether it is fair, and whether it contributes to understanding. Before attacking or responding to anyone, even if necessary as in the case of former VP Leni Robredo, we should ask whether we are seeking justice or merely victory. History ought to remember the people who had the courage to defend truth when deception became fashionable.
Technology itself is neither good nor evil. It merely magnifies the character of those who use it. If our digital platforms become instruments of honesty, they can strengthen democracy and enrich public discourse. But if they become factories of lies, they will slowly erode the trust upon which every free society depends. The challenge for believers is therefore not simply to expose troll farms. It is to resist becoming modern Pharisees ourselves.
Let’s not become the people who project virtue publicly while abandoning truth privately. Scripture tells us that God is not impressed by appearances. He is concerned with the condition of the heart. A society that values truth over propaganda, humility over self-righteousness, and integrity over influence will always be stronger than one built on deception.
Siegfred has a diversified set of education and experiences which has made him a game changer and a servant leader in organizations. His professional degrees came from the United States Military Academy at West Point in New York, Ateneo Law School, and University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA. His corporate experiences include stints as general counsel for the country’s flag carrier, a food exporter with manufacturing plants in Davao and in Laguna, and a sports distributor company. Siegfred is a former soldier and a lawyer by profession, a teacher and inspirational speaker by passion, and a book author and a writer with a mission.