Castro’s group cries ‘repression’ as Meta suspends her FB page for 180 days
The ACT Teachers partylist on Tuesday denounced as a “blatant act of repression” the sudden 180-day suspension that California-based giant tech firm Meta imposed on Rep. France Castro’s Facebook page.
In a statement, the group reported the takedown of Castro’s official public account with the name “Teacher France Castro,” which Meta flagged as an “impersonation.”
The party list showed a screenshot of the suspension details with Facebook noting that it “[doesn’t] allow people to pretend to be someone well-known, or speak for them without permission.”
Pointing to its “community standards,” the social media platform cited examples of what is barred under the “impersonation” offense, such as “using a photo of someone famous to deceive people,” and “using things like profiles or pages to pretend to speak for a public figure, such as a politician.”
Timing questioned
ACT Teachers demanded the immediate restoration of the lawmaker’s social media account, saying it’s suspension was a “clear attack on freedom of expression.”
The group also questioned the timing of the suspension in the wake of the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, a move that the lawmaker had doggedly pursued.
It also noted that the suspension came at a time when her Facebook page had been the target of attacks by troll accounts.
“Notably, her page had recently been flooded with troll accounts and baseless reports, raising suspicions that the suspension is a fabricated move to silence a prominent progressive voice,” it added.
Fabrication
Comments on the ACT Teachers Facebook page’s announcement of the suspension were mostly anti-Castro, with some calling it a piece of “good news” and “deserved.”
“Karma is real,” another post said.
But one remark posted by a Facebook user named “Gerry Mercene Jr.” called on the social media firm to fix its guidelines.
“Do not allow unverified reports from real impersonators—such as dummy accounts, fake accounts, or troll accounts—to exploit flaws in your reporting feature to remove legitimate pages. These fake accounts abuse the system by mass-reporting real pages, falsely claiming violations, and taking advantage of automated moderation, which often results in wrongful takedowns without proper verification,” it read.
While she’s campaigning
Castro, who is now on her last term as party list representative, is running for senator in the May elections as part of the Makabayan coalition slate.
ACT Teachers called the suspension “a fabricated move to silence a prominent progressive voice” and an “attempt to undermine the people’s right to hold those in power accountable.”
It urged the public to “remain vigilant against these tactics and stand in solidarity with all progressive voices fighting for justice and democracy.”
It also noted other instances when the social media pages of other progressive groups and individuals, such as Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, were taken down, making Castro’s case part of the “broader pattern of silencing dissent.”
Last week, Castro began her official Senate campaign with a tour of public schools in Manila, including her alma mater, the Philippine Normal University, and her former employer, Ramon Magsaysay High School.
“Crowded classrooms and low salaries remain a problem in schools,” she told the Inquirer in an interview.
