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MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. demanded an explanation from Facebook Philippines on Tuesday after a series of posts and shared stories were flagged and removed by government officials, various government media outlets, and ordinary netizens.

The chair of the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, in a letter to John Rubio, Facebook Philippines’ country director, said his office recognizes mother company Meta’s efforts to combat disinformation, cyberbullying, hate speech, terrorism, and other issues that arise on social media platforms, but that he would appreciate the information and an explanation from the social media giant.

“I share the government’s and the media’s concern about the impact of the above-mentioned occurrences on the performance of official tasks, as well as their consequences for national security, sovereignty, and fundamental liberties,” Revilla stated.

Lorraine Badoy, spokesman for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and Presidential Communications Undersecretary, described the episode as “pathetic, desperate, and lutang (floating)” on Sunday.

Facebook took down the Philippine News Agency’s (PNA) articles on Badoy’s reaction, including a social media card, although it was eventually restored.

Netizens also said they couldn’t share the Badoy message, among other things.

The episode, according to the National Press Club, was not just an act of harassment and intimidation, but also a flagrant violation of civil freedoms, particularly the right to freedom of information and speech, as well as an attack on the country’s sovereignty.

Alfonso Cusi, president of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan and Energy Secretary, said the Facebook instances are part of an effort to denigrate the Duterte administration’s accomplishments and negatively influence voters’ decisions ahead of the May 9 elections.

Facebook has been flagging and blocking posts from government agencies, including the PNA, since Saturday night, claiming they violate “community standards.”

Facebook has not provided an explanation, other than to say that the flagging, removal, and labeling of posts as spam were caused by technical difficulties.

A post by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. urging Filipinos to unify against communist insurrection was also reported, prompting Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya of the Department of the Interior and Local Government to criticize Facebook.

“This decision by Facebook is frightening, if not dangerous because it has established itself as an omnipotent entity that can penalize lawful posts by highly recognized authorities of the country at its whim — based on rules that they have devised,” Malaya said in a statement.

Due to alleged violations of community standards, the Facebook account of lawyer Vic Rodriguez, the spokesperson for presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has been suspended for 30 days, effective April 25.

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