By Daine Mariel Chua

PHOTO: Atty. Vic Rodriguez/Facebook

Despite the suspension of his Facebook account, Atty. Victor Rodriguez, spokesman of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., will pursue advocating the candidate’s messages through other media platforms in preparation for the upcoming 2022 elections in May.

In a statement, Rodriguez claimed that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, suspended his account on Monday, April 25, due to the fact that he is in favor of the late dictator’s son, Marcos.

He, however, showed that the suspension of his account would not stop him from supporting Marcos and stated his will to continue disseminating information from the candidate through other social media platforms.

He previously used his Facebook account to merely upload photos, videos, and campaign schedules of UniTeam, an alliance composed of Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte-Carpio tandem’s supporters, implying established support for the party.

His plan about extending to other platforms contradicted his statement in an interview conducted last January addressing a Marcos-related issue as well.

Rodriguez said, “Honestly, I don’t have any social media accounts, so hindi ko alam ang sinasabi mong content.”

(Honestly, I don’t have any social media accounts, so I have no idea what content you are talking about.)

Moreover, Facebook stated that certain activities in his account do not follow the platform’s community standards and gave him 30 days to engage with the decision or it would result in permanent termination.

The spokesperson argued that he would not appeal for he did not commit any violation. Instead, he further claimed that the suspension of his Facebook account is “censorship of the highest degree and interference on a sovereign act.”

As the elections approaches, Meta announced on April 6 its cooperation with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in ensuring protection from disinformation through new products and stronger policies.

“These efforts expand our ability to remove harmful content and networks if we see them, connect more people to credible election information, promote digital literacy and civic engagement, and provide more transparency into political ads,” Meta explained.

Given the latest guidelines, Rodriguez’ Facebook account was restored due to inaccurate restriction for “reasons unrelated to any posted content.”


Edited by Audrei Jeremy A. Mendador