Power of Social Communication Forum and Philippine's Election -The Asian Age

 

In Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr has achieved a land slide victory in presidential election. He got at least sixty percent of the casting votes. Firstly, it seems that the division of his opposition camp in Philippines presidential election was the main cause of Marcos Jr's easy victory, because opposition camp was divided in to nine candidates. But, his main opponent got nearly thirty percent votes; so the division of the opposition camp was not the main factor, and it was not the main issue of the victory of Marcos Jr in the election. That's why the reaction of the election analyst and the political scientist of Philippines is different. They are focusing that the centrifugal point of the victory of Philippines election is, how Marcos Jr, son of the dictator who has to leave the country for a people uprising in 36 years ago, now is the most popular person in the Philippines. They are emphasizing in this point. 

The noble laureate journalist Maria Ressa said, people would not judge properly for casting their votes rather they are cheated in many ways, otherwise a son of the dictator couldn't win in the election. besides, he was not at all accepted to the educated civil society in Philippines. Maria Ressa is not only a journalist but also a human rights activist and the representative of the civil society.

It is true that the result of the Philippines election will make wrinkle not only the civil society of that country but also America and its democratic friends. Marcos Jr, is not a friend of America like his father. He is very close to China and Putin of Russia.

At the primary stage the scenario was different of the election campaign. Then Marcos was not the only popular candidate. Sara Duterte the daughter of the President Duterte declared that she would contest in the election as a president candidate. President Duterte's operation against drug, and for that operation the extra judiciary killing was a gross violation of human rights in the eye of the civil society of Philippines and the democratic world. In spite of that, the common people of Philippines were in favor of president Duterte's campaign against drug. Their attitude was that no matter how Duterte's operation against drug was going, they want only drug free Philippines. That's why the family of Dutarto is still huge popular in Philippines.  So, Sara Duterte (daughter of Duterte) was also a vital president candidate. But at a stage she and herfamily supported Marcos Jr. as a president candidate. When this popular family supported Marcos Jr, and Sara declared she will contest in a vice President position then automatically the balance slides in favor of Marcos Jr. Many of the political scientist of Philippines seems the support of President Duterte helped at least fifty percent for the victory of Marcos Jr.

However, most the the election analysts are not thinking same. Their opinion is social communication Forum was the main weapons for the victory of Marcos Jr. Marcos Jr.'s main obstacle was how the people of Philippines would take his father - and his regime. Because his father had to leave the country, gave up his presidency for the people uprising, as a condemned dictator. In this situation, social communication Forum overturned the facts by publishing fake news again and again. Generating many types of fake news, Social Communication Forum was able to convince Philippines people, Marcos junior's father was not a dictator, rather in his era the country was better than any other regime. And Law and Order situation was quite good in his time. His father's departure was an incident of thirty-six years ago. So the majority population of the Philippines do not know about his father's regime and that true story of dictator Marcos departure incident. On the other hand, new generation use to social communication Forum a lot. The technical campaigner of the election of Marcos Jr took as an opportunity of the habit of the young generation about Social forum. Circulating fake news again and again, the election campaign of the Marcos Jrestablished to the new generation of Philippines that Marcos Jr's father's era was a golden Era.

He was the main architect of the development of Philippines. Even then, in this Social Communication Forum that type of fake news were circulated that Marcos Jr's father deposit ten to fifteen billion dollars Philippines state money in the offshore Bank for the crisis of the poor people of Philippines. And if Marcos Jr became president, it would be distributed that moneyamong the poor people. On the other hand, journalist like Ressa and like her portal " Rappler" which are acceptable in the civil society. They published the news and the symbol of the torture in the Marcos regime. Even then they also published some interviews of those people who were tortured by the dictator Marcos. They published the facts after imposing Marshal Law, Dictator president Marcos arrested seventy thousand people, tortured thirty-four thousand people and killed three thousand two hundred forty persons. Even, half of his regime was run by Martial Law and imposing curfew. In spite of that, this main stream medianews could not be convinced the new generation, rather people believed it is a propaganda against Marcos Jr's father.  

 
With all the reality through the election of the Philippines it has been proved that main stream media were in the sideline and Social Communication Forum played the main role. Through the situation of Philippines, a vital point is unveiled regarding controlling Media.If any government controls, the media in their iron hand and the media of the country broadcast or publish only for the propaganda of the government; then people of the country withdraw their attention from the main stream media. In this situation, people became dependable on social communication Forum now a days. President Duterte controlled the Philippines media in his iron hand.  So people withdraw their attention from mainstream media and gotused to social forum. Marcos Jr used this opportunity properly.  That's Why, they became able to send mainstream media to the side line easily. And Social Forum lead the election took the controlling hand absolutely of the Philippines elections. For their performance at least two months before of the election, it became clear, Marcos Jr was going to achieve victory.

Simultaneously, the new generation, even the fifty years old guys who casted their vote in this elections, they didn't know anything about the dictator Marcos. It was the incident before their birth or their toddler time. They only came to know through the Social Forum huge number of development work were started in president Marcos era. So, they accepted president Marcos as a good ruler, not a dictator. Basically they all are motivated new generation who were in favourof Marcos Jr. That's why result went to Jr Marcos's bag easily.

 After the election of the Philippines all the election expert are now so much serious about the role of Social Communication Forum in any election. Now, not only the election of the third world countries but also the develop world has to think with new generation mind and technique about fake news and Social Communication Forum's role in the election.


Swadesh Roy is a senior journalist and writer in Bangladesh. He was Received highest state award "Ekushey Padak" for special contribution in journalism.