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Duterte takes on Facebook: What's your use in this country?


President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night took issue with Facebook's recent move to take down pages and accounts associated with the military and police.

"Facebook, listen to me. We allow you to operate here hoping that you could help us also. Now, if government cannot espouse or advocate something which is for the good of the people, then what is your purpose here in my country?" Duterte said.

"What would be the point of allowing you to continue if you cannot help us? We are not advocating mass destruction, massacre. It’s a fight of ideas," he added.

Facebook last week took down several pages and accounts linked to the military and police for “coordinated inauthentic behavior”.

These included posts on such issues such as the Anti-Terrorism Law and criticism of activists and communists.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police have since maintained that they adhered to Facebook’s policies.

"Tell me kung bakit hindi ko magamit para sa kapakanan ng taumbayan? [If] government cannot use it for the good of the people then we have to talk. We have to talk sense," Duterte told Facebook.

Malacañang earlier said Duterte supporters would likely migrate to a different platform following the shutdown of the Facebook pages.

In 2018, Facebook also removed pro-Duterte pages due to spam behavior. -NB, GMA News

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