Use of trolls to defend DICT chief slammedMANILA, Philippines — A digital ethics advocate raised concerns over an apparent coordinated troll attack on an online news report over the weekend, raising red flags on distortion of public opinion through amplified troll use in social media. An examination of the accounts revealed several red flags commonly associated with coordinated inauthentic behavior such as identical creation dates and content. Aguda, when asked by The STAR about the concerns raised by Ligot, said: “I don’t know him. In his social media post titled “Politics of Perception,” Ligot noted that these inauthentic accounts were sympathetic or supportive of Aguda’s retention and critical of any move to replace him. But if amplification is happening to protect a government official, we have to ask a bigger question – where is the ethics?” Ligot said.

Source: Philippine Star March 16, 2026 16:35 UTC