To start with, the premise is wrong. The hardheaded (“pasaway”) narrative is inaccurate and blown out of proportion. Independent scientific data based on facts and algorithms have debunked this anecdotal demagoguery. An overwhelming percentage of Filipinos have stayed home and the country even placed among the top in following basic protocols like wearing masks. So if there are “pasaways” - and surely there are even from within the very corridors of privilege and power themselves - these are relatively few, far between and insignificant enough [NOT] to justify the disproportionate shotgun approach.
So this official mantra parroted even by some toady commentators and regrettably believed by the naive and misinformed seems to detract and distract from the incompetence, inutility and dismal failure of the half a year of erratic and erroneous government responses to the pandemic.
The police cannot just stalk people’s social media posts and messages - especially those with various privacy options - absent legal authority from the courts without violating the constitutional rights to privacy of communications and the Data Privacy Law and other laws and principles including subsequent punishment for media, as the case may be. And the police should start first with patrolling its own ranks for vicious and malicious posts against those who do not toe the official line.
And even if the socmed posts are public that shed their privacy protection, the chilling effect of being discouraged, restrained or even potentially harassed or punished hangs like a Damocles sword on every keyboard and keypad.
The police would better refocus its time, resources, and manpower to legitimate, legal and less intrusive but professional and credible approaches to rampant criminality, drugs, corruption and real terrorists than vex the ordinary citizen who by and large merely exercises the hard-won rights to free expression, speech and the press.
Otherwise, half a year hence, we will still be stuck with the daily numbers and the unending increase of Covid cases because instead of scientific and health-based approaches like effective mass testing and methodical and reliable contact tracing in tandem with persuasive and understandable information and massive education campaign, the omnipresent Big Brother dangles coercion, fear, threats and retribution.
And in the end, if these repressive kneejerk plans continue, then one day we might just realize that social media in the Philippines ended up as one huge echo chamber of the government.
Edre U. Olalia NUPL President
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