12 EDITORIAL
Liberation by Lies F
ake news intended to fuel the campaign has put up an irony of persecution. It seems liars get away with crimes while the honest are stoned until their mouths are shut. This is evident over comments in social media enlightening and debunking claims of the Marcos Era being the 'golden years of the Philippines'. Statistics, researches, even eye-witness confessions, and mainstream media reports of the 21-year dictatorship are turned down by YouTube and TikTok videos from unverified sources setting Marcos's presidency as a standard. From showing the ravishing infrastructure improvements during the Marcos era to showing how the economic standing of the country at the time is comparable to present Japan or Singapore, the barrage of inaccuracies in the Internet increased. While many dismember it, a lot of people are enticed and has pushed them to choose Bongbong as the next president. This fake news is not only favoring the Marcos reelection but it even rubs salt in the reopened wounds and the thousand
cuts of those still finding justice for their Martial Law losses. Fanatics now does not only invalidate facts but also cries for justice. And, sadly, it's working. Bongbong Marcos now gains the upper hand in polls, racking up voters after voters with false information. This kind of dilemma found on voter education was the subject of Ateneo School of Government's survey unit that studied the fake news susceptibility of over 30,000 youth. The study found out that Duterte supporters have a "lower capacity" in distinguishing correct from false information. While 63% of the respondents said that they are “somewhat confident” about their abilities to identify false information, they only achieved a 6.9 average in the 10-item quiz. The proponents then concluded that fake news susceptibility is likely caused by social media trust and mainstream media distrust. All of this points out that voter education now includes identifying fake and real news. Platforms and promises are paired with political dynasty ambitions and achievements —
