Social media has started playing up the chances of some presidential hopefuls in 2028, like Sara Duterte. We all know how strong the presence of the diehard Duterte supporters is in the new technology. Presidential wannabes have started embracing the new technology as its influence over the voters has expanded through the years.
Actually, both the DDS and the Marcos loyalists do have the social media machinery on standby after this was successfully used by the Uniteam in the 2022 elections. Pro-Marcos digital creators so flooded social media with pro-Marcos propaganda that many have forgotten the sins of the “original Macoy” and the dictatorship he installed. Bongbong Marcos became BBM instead of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and won the presidency.
DDS digital creators, meanwhile, helped make the act of extra-judicial killing acceptable and a virtue instead of a crime. Apparently Bongbong Marcos, who largely imbibed western culture and liberal democracy growing up, couldn’t stomach the killings but his vice, who grew up under the tutelage of the Duterte patriarch, is apparently thinking differently. The Uniteam eventually cracked.
DDS digital creators have since routinely called BBM as “bangag” in reference to his supposed drug addiction while pro-Marcos digital creators are referring to Sara as “lustay” for her supposedly being loose as far as spending people’s money is concerned. The result of the 2028 elections will show which propaganda prevail in 2028.
Unlike in past presidential elections, the use of social media has upped in importance nowadays. While we may have survived the initial social media storm and have become more experienced in dealing with it, there is still a need for us to be wary of social media propaganda especially because we still have to uproot and counter this considering the introduction of higher technology like artificial intelligence.
I don’t know how the electoral campaign in 2028 will look but there should be, this early, a better education initiative to counter electoral propaganda. This is important because the choice of the next president could make or unmake this country. This is more so because foreign powers like China and the United States are eager to make us their pawn.
With social media, influencing the result of the 2028 election would be easier compared with past electoral struggles. This can be done even if the keyboard warriors of these foreign powers remain on their shores. Interconnectedness, especially online, has allowed digital creators to influence the thinking of peoples everywhere.
If you ask me, I would say that the Marcos loyalists and the DDS have an advantage nowadays as far as the use of social media is concerned. With money, they can reactivate the machinery and even strengthen it to be able to win in 2028. I am also sure that the other wannabes are even now starting to build their own social media machineries. It would not be cheap, but it looks like this is where we are headed. It is sad, but candidates have to accept reality if they want to prevail.