It’s a word that keeps popping up on social media nowadays. Often, it is wrongly used – as an adjective, instead of as a noun – but more annoying is how it has been tagged to just about any person, group or media entity that does not heap praises on Rody Duterte.In fact, all one has to do sometimes is to give attention to a rival candidate, before being besieged by a horde of cyber bullies.
We experienced this ourselves recently, when we posted a collection of pictures from the Hong Kong visit by Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo. As we did not have our own photographers we thought of gathering remarkable pictures of the visit from various individuals. We posted them as an album on our Facebook page overnight, and the very next day, found ourselves the target of so many haters and bashers, many of whom used the vilest language possible.
“Bias”, bayaran were just some of the words dumped on us, along with a lot of cursing and even threats.
The few sensible ones we tried to engage, often with not much success, but the vile ones we just deleted or blocked. After the initial shock, we decided we would not let ourselves be bullied and intimidated on our own wall. Definitely, not by people who could not even figure out the difference between “bias” and “biased”.
At first, it stung to be called “bayaran” when in all of the 20 years that we have been in business no one dared ascribe this to us, as the community we serve know that we have never kowtowed to anyone, no matter how powerful or rich they may be.
But a quick check on the comments pages of other media entities showed it was nothing extraordinary. Every single article that did not put Duterte in the best light possible provoked the same angry response from netizens, many of whom are hiding behind assumed names or are trolls that are unleashed to attack perceived enemies.
Lost in all these was the fact that we were the only community newspaper to have published in two successive issues, an exclusive and unexpurgated interview, curses and all, with Duterte. We had actually sought the interview sometime in December, upon hearing that he and his running mate Alan Cayetano were in town to attend a fund-raising event attended by some rich local Chinese.
Also in December, our staff chanced upon Grace Poe wandering about Chater Road, and again got an exclusive interview.
In March, a known supporter of Roxas and Robredo flew into town to campaign, and we again covered the visit. The article that came out of that sortie did not reflect well on Roxas, but we decided to print it anyway.
Curiously, not one of these articles resulted in the swift and rabid pounding we got from posting mere pictures of the Roxas and Robredo visit.
The only chance we had of actually writing an article on the administration candidates was early this month, when Filipinos in Hong Kong got the rare privilege of having two prominent politicians come over to mingle with, and listen to them. The occasion was so news worthy that the two biggest English language publications in Hong Kong sent reporters to trail them around.
No journalist worth his or her salt would have missed such a rare chance for a write-up, but Duterte’s supporters were just concerned about one thing: that we did not give the same focus on a girly group that came on the same day in support of their candidate.
To set the record straight, a senior member of our team went and tried to cover the girly show and ask for an interview with the organizers, but was rebuffed, and escorted out of the venue.
Again, no self-respecting journalist who got that kind of a treatment should insist on writing an article, especially on an event so insignificant, so we decided to drop it.
But to this very day, we get pilloried by people whipped into angered frenzy by those who want to bring us down because we dared to stand up against their bullying and intimidation.
If at all, the scare tactics made us realize we should stick to what we have always believed in, that is, to speak up and even take sides when need be.
We will not be cowed.
