Facebook apologizes for taking down Marcos compromise post

Social media giant Facebook has apologized for briefly taking down a post containing details of a proposed compromise agreement between the government and the family of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

In a statement, Facebook said it removed the post of host and educator Gang Badoy-Capati due to supposed violation of their privacy policy as it contained addresses and phone numbers.

“Under our Community Standards we explain that you may not publish the personal information of others without their consent,” Facebook said in a statement sent to The STAR.

“Upon further review and with additional context, we determined this information was already being shared publicly and therefore does not violate our privacy policy, hence, we restored the content and sent an apology,” it added.

The social media company came under fire after it took down Capati’s post, which contained information on the proposed compromise agreement of Marcos loyalist lawyer Oliver Lozano.

Also taken down was a post by blogger and columnist Tonyo Cruz, who criticized the decision of Facebook to remove Capati’s post.

Like in the case of Capati, the social media giant also restored Cruz’s post and apologized for the error.

In a statement, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned the takedown of the posts of Capati and Cruz.

It said that the act was a direct infringement on the users’ right to freedom of expression.

“We call out Facebook for its arbitrary ‘community standards,’ which is often used as a basis for expurgating critical and thought-provoking commentaries,” the NUJP said.

“We urge the social media platform to review its guidelines to ensure that it will not violate the people’s right to freely express themselves,” it added.

Capati’s post contained correspondence between Lozano and government officials, including chief presidential legal adviser Salvador Panelo and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.

It also included an unfiled draft legislation that would grant immunity to the Marcoses.

Malacañang confirmed receiving Lozano’s letter, but stressed that it has not acted on the matter.

It also maintained that no compromise agreement has been reached with the Marcoses, noting that a law is needed in order for the government to do so.