Duterte critics behind troll farms – Panelo

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said organized troll farms are being operated by trolls who are “anti-Duterte.”

He made the statement after at least 12 senators filed a resolution seeking an investigation into allegations public funds are being used for the operation of troll farms.

“Yung mga troll, puro mga antiDuterte mga karamihan diyan. Alam niyo kung bakit? Mapapansin ninyo yung kanilang mga salita, pare-pareho parang isang tao lang ang gumagawa, parang

orchestrated lahat (Most of the trolls are anti-Duterte. Their comments are almost the same, as if one person is doing it, it seems everything is orchestrated).”

“Unlike yung mga pro-Duterte, iba, mahahalata mo, iba-ibang tao nagsasalita. Itong mga troll ng anti-Duterte, iisa linya, iisa lengwahe, iisa ang mga katagang ginagamit pare-pareho lang. Sila mga organized (Unlike those who are pro-Duterte, different people are commenting. AntiDuterte trolls have one line, one language. They are organized),” Panelo said in his television show “Counterpoint.”

Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. earlier this week welcomed the senators’ call for a probe into alleged state funded troll farms.

He also asked senators to investigate “organized” troll farms attacking him.

The call for a probe came after the Commission on Audit hit the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) for its massive hiring of contractual workers last year.

The commission said the PCOO used P71 million for the hiring of 375 personnel. The funds, it said, could have been used for other programs and projects of the government.

PCOO Undersecretary Kris Ablan earlier said the funds were used for the hiring of social media specialists and not trolls.

Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo also backed the Senate investigation of troll farms.

“Dapat talaga itong gawin kasi, ‘di ba, ano ba iyong epekto ng pagkakaroon ng mga trolls sa atin? Pinapag-away-away iyong mga tao, Ka Ely (It has to be done because trolls make people fight),” Robredo said on Sunday in her weekly radio show “BISErbisyong Leni” she anchors with Ely Saludar.

She lamented that statements against the administration would trigger attacks from a swarm of trolls.

Robredo said it is not too late for the Senate investigation.

“Kasi kung hindi ito mahinto, ito na iyong kalakaran (This will become the norm if it is not stopped),” she said.