How I Deal with Trolls

It was late 2006/early 2007 when I first encountered a troll. I was new at my job and he targeted me. He even threatened to email our president to tell him about me. The troll did it through blog posts and everything he said was not true. I immediately reported it to our PR lead and he advised me to ignore it and don't engage. The troll even made me a mistress! He did it several times, but I just ignored it. 

Good thing I was given that advise because the troll just got tired and stopped. A few years ago I was the target of trolls again. Friends alerted me about it. They were discussing my political affiliations and beliefs. They couldn't find any because I never really posted anything. I focused on my work and just continued to do the job at hand. 

It went on for some time and they started to uncover who my friends were. I was worried that they would target my family next. I think it helped I had close friends in Davao because that confused them a lot! I did the same thing and alerted the PR lead in the Philippines. She also told me to ignore it and they'll take care of it if it escalates. They stopped when I told a close friend about it. Almost immediately the trolling stopped. (I honestly don't know what he did to stop them or what his involvement with them was). 

So I continue to ignore them. Nowadays it's harder to identify real people versus fake accounts. I noticed this when I was still in Singapore. The "Filipinos in Singapore" group had a lot of trolls in it and they were pretty nasty people. I would randomly check profiles and lot were new accounts, obviously fake. It was useless to engage because they would just attack you if you tried correcting them. The group eventually became this place of negativity so I just stopped reading. Honestly, the tech companies who own these apps should do a better job of policing it. Also, companies who have been involved with these troll armies should be held accountable.

The best way to protect yourself from trolls is not to engage them. If you encounter one, report their profile. It's also important to make sure that your online properties are kept private. Don't just keep accepting invites. If you must do something, just share verified sources (preferably from valid news outlets). 

Family and friends are best enjoyed in person and in real life. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Coping

I had an anxiety attack last night. It was so bad I thought I was having another pulmonary embolism. Checked my oxygen saturation and it was normal. A friend pointed out I was having an anxiety attack. I immediately stopped watching the news and went to the bedroom to lie down. The boys gave me some ice cream and that helped calm me down a bit. Eventually used some peace & calming oil. It was already 3 in the morning when I finally fell into a fitful sleep. 

I have so many questions and the PM in me tells me it was just impossible for the transmissions to come in so fast. How could they have possibly reached those numbers when friends who are part of the BOC were still counting at city-level. Many precincts have also not closed because people were still voting. There were many, many posts last night, but I did not want to remain hopeful. I told myself to cling to what I learned at my previous job. When in doubt, look at the data. Determine the truth through data. 

So that's what I'm holding onto. The truth. I want to see first the true details of the data. That's how I will accept things. That's how I will cope. I was woken up by my tablet this morning. It strangely auto-played the Cebuyaas video of Doc Tricia speaking at the rally. She was sharing about how much fake news her family has experienced. She pointed out that they felt they were not alone because there was so many who have been defending them. She also reminded that the work doesn't end at the rally and that there is so much to do. 

VP Leni Robredo said the same thing in her statement last night. There are anomalies and it's best to get to find out the truth. If it's true that the numbers for us to win is not enough, our fight doesn't stop here. We have to continue the work. Ninety days may not have been enough and what that tells me is there is still a lot of work to do. 

And that's how I'm coping now. I'm trying my best not to overthink and be too emotional. It will not be good for my health if I do. Let's hold on to the truth and then go from there. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Election 2022: The Guards have Changed

I had a short chat with Tito Mel while I was in line to vote early this morning. He's now 88 years old and headed the PPCRV in our parish since it's inception. I told him my Mom didn't come out to vote yet. He gave a few tips to get her going and said hope she'll vote this afternoon. I told him I'll try to bring her again if she's feeling better. 

Tito Mel is now retired. His children took over leadership of PPCRV, but they have also retired from it. When I went to the voter assistance tent to get my cluster number I realized I didn't know anyone anymore. All the volunteers were new faces. In 2019 I still knew some of them. Some of my friends who were volunteers of PPCRV decided to be Namfrel pollwatchers which is also very important. 

The guards have changed. My titos and titas in our neighborhood who used to run things have all retired, a lot have passed away too. It's now the time of the younger generation to take the lead. I was gone for a long time and trust that the turnover of duties has been smooth. Growing up I experienced being a volunteer for PPCRV, Namfrel and I was once a pollwatcher too. It is hard work, so be nice to them because they are there to protect your vote. 

The teachers are the heroes of the election. I really appreciated that the teachers in my precinct made sure that no one could see your ballot. They chased voters who did not cover their ballots with the folder. I didn't have any issues feeding my ballot into the VCM. I checked the receipt and the names I voted for were correct. 

Here's some tips if you haven't voted yet:

1. Know your precinct number and cluster. You can check through:

- COMELEC precinct finder

- Listings posted outside the polling center

- Voter assistance center/tent

*Do check your barangay FB group if there are any precincts that have been relocated. 

2. Have a list on hand. Include the number of the candidate and list out their last name in alphabetical order. This will make sure you don't take too much time and you don't overvote.

3.  Bring water and a fan and wear comfortable clothing.  

4. Be patient! 

Good luck and keep the faith!

#BeKind #StaySafe #VoteWisely