A trend that started during the 2016 elections and has allegedly proven its power to sway the Filipino electorate is now threatening to derail the traditional stability here in Laguna province.
We are talking about the employment of "online trolls" by a few political machines in a thinly disguised attempt to influence the decision-making capabilities of voters, as the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 2025 election draws near.
These trolls have engaged in an all-out “social media war” through the spread of misinformation, shutting down legitimate social media users who challenge them, and “swarming” posts, particularly surveys, with manufactured mass reactions.
Coupled with the reported declining critical thinking skills and cognizance of these manufactured social media engagements among Filipinos, these online trolls are threatening to turn what should be an educated discussion of social issues and politicians’ platform into dirty mudslinging, insults, and rhetorical violence.
Whether this rhetorical violence can spill into actual, physical violence is still a matter of conjecture among political analysts, especially in a province that has seen few incidents of election-related violence despite the intensity of local politics.
But one thing is certain: we should not allow these trolls to hold undue influence upon the electorate and poison their minds.
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