A SOCIAL media campaigner filed police complaints against supporters of presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte who bullied her online after she expressed disapproval of the Davao City mayor’s candidacy.
But the camp of Duterte blamed impostors for the cyber-bullying of Renee Juliene Karunungan, advocacy director of Dakila (Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism), who recently declared support for Leni Robredo.
“Duterte is a lazy choice. No one man can solve the problem. Discipline comes from ourselves,” she said in her original post that was shared about 4,000 times and got more than 11,000 reactions and almost 1,400 comments.
The post resulted in a barrage of nasty comments from Duterte’s supporters who maligned her morals, criticized the size of her breasts and imperfections of her face
“They call you stupid, to remind you of your inferiority. And if still you relent, they threaten you with rape and then tell you it’s your fault, for speaking up, for causing drama, for seeking attention,” she said.
“I usually express my thoughts through writing. I have also been working in the development sector and thus, hold some things of high value—human rights, climate justice, freedom of expression, gender rights to name a few,” she stressed.
Because of her views against Duterte and outspoken campaign against Duterte, she was bashed by too many netizens.
“I have gotten thousands of comments and messages from his supporters, some of whom I have engaged in constructive discussions, but most have attacked me as a person and have used my womanhood against me,” her message read.
But, Duterte’s official spokesperson Peter Laviña denied the mayor and his campaign organization had anything to do with the verbal abuse of Karunungan.
“Duterte and our team have repeatedly issued calls on our supporters. Unfortunately, we cannot control everyone and there are also infiltrators posing as pro-Duterte,” he said.
“We may disagree with our critics but we will defend their rights to free expression.”
Aside from Karunungan, the opposition United Nationalist Alliance also criticized the “thug-like” leadership of Duterte.
UNA presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday stepped up his attacks and called Duterte a “bully.”
Binay denounced the “underhanded tactics” carried out by Duterte’s employees against UNA candidates and particularly against senatorial candidate Princess Jacel Kiram, whose posters had been removed after she refused to drop Binay in his favor.
According to UNA spokesperson Mon Ilagan, UNA has received several reports from its leaders in Davao that personnel of city hall were removing campaign tarpaulins of UNA candidates, led by its standard bearer Vice President Jejomar Binay, even in private establishments.
“Elections are not won by terrorizing political rivals. We should respect each other’s views and belief. How can one claim to be a champion of peace, when people live in fear and terror? ” Ilagan said.
Binay said if world boxing champion Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao, UNA’s senatorial candidate, is the country’s “Pambansang Kamao,” Duterte is the “Pambansang Berdugo at Bully.”
In a statement, Binay said voters angered by Duterte’s endorsement of extra-judicial killings and have been bullied by Duterte supporters, especially online, were starting to fight back.
The Vice President warned the widespread bullying of non-Duterte supporters is a preview of a regime of bloody executions and suppression of human rights.
“You are not even president yet, Mr. Murderous Hangman, but people already know that if you win they will be prohibited from speaking, prohibited from opposing,” Binay said.
Binay deplored the bullying especially online. He particularly condemned the threats of rape made against women who expressed their opposition to Duterte.
Kiram, a resident of Davao City, said Duterte’s backers have approached her and even advised her to print campaign posters with Duterte if she wanted her campaign materials posted in the city.
Kiram cried foul over the removal of her campaign posters and tarpaulins in Davao City just because she was supporting Binay. She noted that this is not the first time that her campaign materials were removed in Davao.
Kiram said she personally saw “people who looked like employees of the Davao City Traffic Management Center” taking down and confiscating her campaign materials, including even those posted in private residences.
Despite the intimidation she and her followers experienced in Davao, Kiram urged her supporters to observe propriety and sobriety at all times.