May 11, 2025

MANILA, Philippines — Kontra Daya condemns the sudden and coordinated proliferation of disinformation on social media starting on May 10, 2025. There are false claims regarding the disqualification of the Makabayan bloc’s party list groups and candidates. This digital onslaught, marked by the creation of dubious Facebook pages, fabricated news content masquerading as credible media reports, and widespread sharing of manipulated visuals, is a grave attack on democratic processes and the integrity of the upcoming elections.

These disinformation efforts are not isolated incidents. They bear all the hallmarks of a coordinated inauthentic behavior operation—a strategy previously documented in the Philippines by organizations such as Rappler and Digital Public Square, and flagged globally by Meta Platforms, Inc. in its regular reports on Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior (CIB) [Meta, 2022]. These operations exploit digital platforms to manufacture consent, confuse the electorate, and suppress legitimate political opposition.

As an independent election watchdog, KontraDaya views this as part of a broader pattern of political sabotage aimed at undermining those who come from the marginalized and underrepresented.

We remind the public and the media that spreading false claims of this nature may be considered a violation of the Fair Elections Act (Republic Act No. 9006) and could constitute election-related offenses under the Omnibus Election Code.Disinformation is not merely a nuisance—it is a form of electoral sabotage. It erodes public trust, distorts public discourse, and compromises the right of the electorate to make informed decisions.

KontraDaya stands firm in its advocacy for clean, honest, and democratic elections, as enshrined in our founding manifesto and echoed by countless citizens who value truth and accountability.We therefore call on the following:

1. COMELEC and relevant government agencies to immediately investigate and take action against the perpetrators of this malicious campaign;

2. Social media platforms, especially Meta (Facebook and Instagram), to enforce their own community standards and remove coordinated fake content that undermines democratic participation;

3. The media and public, to exercise vigilance, verify sources, and resist the spread of fake news, especially during the critical days leading up to the elections.We urge all democratic forces, citizens, and electoral stakeholders to reject these attempts to hijack our democracy.In these times, silence in the face of disinformation is complicity.

For verification and updates, visit our official site at www.kontradaya.org or follow us on our official social media channels.

References:Meta (2022). Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior Report. https://about.fb.com/…/coordinated-inauthentic-behavior/Republic Act No. 9006 – Fair Elections Act.Republic Act No. 10175 – Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.KontraDaya Manifesto for Clean and Democratic Elections. https://www.kontradaya.org/manifesto