“Giving credit to the right leaders is not just about honor but about preserving truth”
DIGITAL technology and social networks have heavily influenced the “Misinformation Age” which refers to the present where false and misleading information spreads rapidly and, in some instances, creates instant heroes.
Misinformation researchers, media analysts, information-literacy advocates, or digital safety professionals however understandably raise the red flags.
In this misinformation era, these warning signs – which should make the media as traffickers of truth skeptical and thus a cut above gossip traders – include sensational or emotionally charged headlines, lack of verifiable sources or authors, manipulated or out-of-context images, and the absence of links to the original information.
Social media posts that are widely shared without being verified by credible sources are also a warning sign.
In recent weeks we have seen a lionheart, a man of the hour as it were, with two law enforcement actions on whose shoulders acknowledgment appears to have been ill-placed.
Those au fait with at least two situations point to the arrest of television evangelist Apollo Quiboloy in August last year and that of former president Rodrigo Duterte in March this year, giving star-ranked Nicolas Torre the status in social media of a hero.
But wait. Some insiders privy to information not available to the public, say the true version of the record must be raised, pointing to PNP chief Rommel Marbil (April 1, 2024-June 2, 2025) as the proper paladin, the planner and strategist.
These insiders say the man, while not seen by the public and was off the camera range, responsible for planning was Marbil, who turned 56 on Feb 7, when he reached the mandatory retirement age for his service, but whose term was extended by four months.
These insiders say the planning, coordination, and command responsibility did not rest on those who spoke before cameras with rolling video tapes, but on the Chief of Police himself.
They add while the public often hears from the spokesperson, the actual orchestration – the intelligence validation, the coordination with national and international counterparts, and the execution of sensitive orders – was directed by Marbil whose leadership they describe as “the backbone of these missions.”
This is not saying that those on camera and heard repeatedly by an anxious public did not play their part at all except that they were there to explain developments and act on operational orders while sharing with the public the roadmap without compromising security and intelligence.
Some information researchers have said “while public perception often elevates the messenger, history must not confuse the face of a press briefer with the architect of a national operation.”
The arrest of Quiboloy and the transfer of Duterte to The Hague will be remembered, according to information advocates, as pivotal moments in Philippine law enforcement history that required courage, discipline and command vision.
In a generation where misinformation spreads fast like thunderclap, giving credit to the right leaders is not just about honor but about preserving truth.
