Former senator and senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan is asking the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to cooperate with social media giants Meta (Facebook), TikTok, YouTube, and many others in deactivating or suspending troll accounts for the duration of the campaign. 

This after he was targeted by what he called an “orchestrated” and “well-funded” disinformation campaign regarding a viral food blog, where he was seen eating rice and carabao milk from a pot cover. 

Pangilinan argued that the laughing reactions from Vietnamese-sounding accounts left on the video are proof that there were people behind the smear campaign against him. 

“Ang apela ko rin sa Comelec, sana mapag-aralan ng Comelec ano pa ang pwe-pwedeng gawin para makontrol itong massive disinformation, massive trolling and bashing na nagaganap sa social media,” he asked. 

“Maybe Comelec can call, sit down with Meta, sit down with TikTok and come up with a Memorandum of Agreement of some sorts so that between now and election campaign day that there will be coordination and cooperation in addressing disinformation, bashing, and trolling online,” Pangilinan added. 

In a food blog collaboration with social media personality Romeo Catacutan, the former senator was seen joining a boodle feast in Pampanga province. 

In one video, Catacutan was heard asking someone to hand Pangilinan a pot cover so he could eat the rice and carabao milk properly. 

“Sana may mangyari doon. Chairman (George) Garcia, we hope we appeal for coordination and cooperation between the social media platforms and the giants of digital media and the Commission on Elections in combating disinformation,” the former senator said. 

Pangilinan described the viral video against him as an “orchestrated” and “well-funded” campaign to besmirch his campaign.