Internet Invasion: "The Reds Are Coming!"

The blogging discussion about the Sultan's Sabah escapade has morphed. When the incursion first began, a vocal alliance of strange bedfellows spoke loudest. We saw Muslims seeking satisfaction for years of neglect allied, strangely, with Filipino uber-patriots seeking expansion of Philippine territory to include what appears rightfully to belong to the Philippines, if you look at land title apart from the will of the residents.

When Malaysia got the Sultan's band on the run, however, a different set of voices arose. These were the moderate Filipinos who believe Sabah belongs to Sabahans and peace is more important than claim, along with rah rah Malaysians pretty much saying "in your face", Philippines. These two factions were not united, they just were louder than the retreating pro-Sultan gang.

Last Friday, for the first time, the incident dropped off of Rappler's roll-up headlines in favor of the pound-for-pound boxing ratings. Given the news coming out of Malaysia about apparent extreme brutality toward Filipinos there, the story will likely come back. It is tragic. 

But what I want to write about today is a third group of voices that was pronounced during the first period when tensions ran high. The voices had a consistent theme: run down President Aquino and run down the Philippines. If you read the messages, they seemed strikingly similar. Good use of English. Perspective from "above" or outside the Philippines. Jingoistic use of insults and slurs. No constructive ideas. Clearly out to smear.

Here is a typical comment, this one from a "Rudy Sentosa:

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But before one blaming Malaysian Government, take a look at PH's Government, and how does PH government care about their countrymen. PH's government is more deplorable than the Malaysian's.

Malaysians slaughter those they consider as risk to their country. But Filipinos are the ones who watch the whole slaughtering of their own countrymen while doing practically nothing.

Anybody watched the movie "SILENT OF THE LAMB"? Pinoys are the lambs who are sent into slaughter house obediently and silently.

 Your IMPOTENT PRESIDENTE has more share of responsibility  than the Malaysians do for those BLOODS.

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Pretty nasty stuff.

A commenter suggested that Santosa was from "Unit 61398", the Chinese military hacking operation. I started paying attention to the well-spoken messages denigrating the Philippines.

These are the screen-names that I found peculiar. I have absolutely no knowledge about the legitimacy or illegitimacy of any of them. I just note the striking similarity of message and tone. I shall call them "PEOPLE WITH AN AGENDA".

• topolcats
• Zootalaws
• Manloloko
• Rudy Sentosa
• Keith Cruz
• Manuel C. Diaz

Now the names themselves fall into two categories: (1) the made-up "o" names and (2) the cornball Spanish names, often representing themselves as Filipino but giving themselves away by referring to the Philippines or Filipinos as "you".

It fires my imagination.

I think of that Chinese military unit in Shanghai that hacked US newspapers. I think of the Chinese strategy to divide the ASEAN alliance to isolate negotiating partners and put them in a weak position, and consistent with that strategy, to weaken the Philippines as a negotiating partner. I think of a thousand troublemakers with a keyboard, an internet connection and an agenda and I think of the swarm of unkind opinions that could fly, like locusts, into the free Philippine dialogue.

I had previously designated four groups as threats to Philippine well-being because they are attacking the framework of stability that President Aquino is attempting to solidify:

• The anti blogging community
• China
• The Catholic Church
• The corrupt

And I suppose we could add on a seasonal basis, strictly for political gain, UNA and other election candidates who employ the campaign technique of tearing down the incumbent President in order to try to demean his party's candidates.

Well, the anti blogging community is really not much of a factor. 

But if you add the PEOPLE WITH AN AGENDA into this group, or imagine it expanding, then the complaining voices start to dominate the discussion. It is a real shift in what the on-line community brings to the Philippines. From a positive people's advocacy, a "check and balance" as a part of good governance, to a negative, condemning the character of the Philippines and the nation's President.

One other thought that comes to mind as I find myself slipping into the role of Chicken Little raising my voice to say "The sky is falling!" or "The Reds are coming! The Reds are coming!".  I reflect on the era of Senator Joseph McCarthy's communist purge in the U.S. in the early 1950's. He hurt innocent people in his obsession to protect.

So "the sky is falling!", or "the Reds are coming!", is not exactly the national attitude we want to see arise.

But how do we promote a positive, unified Philippines when the internet forum of public discourse becomes a cold war battlefield? When we see rational discourse tipped negative by troublemakers? When we see freedom of speech turned inside out to shade and shape our ability to think freely.

The Cybercrime legislation does not touch upon this

I suppose the most basic step would be to ban use of aliases. Make sure each participant in the internet dialogue is known and legitimate. Those hosting discussion forums (Rappler, JoeAm, Raissa Robles, et. al.) would be required to certify the authenticity of correspondents. This would be a nightmare to administer and I suspect the mischief makers might still find a way in.

Would JoeAm reveal himself to help weed out the troublemakers?

For the good of the Philippines, yes.

The internet is dynamic and changing. And we know some nations are working on strategies to wage battle through the internet grid.

We ought to recognize, even at this early date, that Philippine internet discussion forums are NOT representative of the peoples of the Philippines. Even today these forums may be stocked with shills, trolls, spies, saboteurs and malcontents.

Conversations that are critical of the Philippines and Philippine leaders should be read with some measure of wariness, especially if they are detached from any constructive suggestions for building the nation.

Discretion . Awareness. Resistance to easy criticisms devoid of solution.

It is important not to get suckered into helping divide the Philippines.

Unity is a conscious decision. A commitment. And it sometimes requires sacrifice.