Elections in the

Internet
Group Members
Earl Jabez Bonque, Riza Hular, Christiane Toledo, Neil John Paul Sullano, Francis
Heredia,
Mark Gil Alcantara, Jamaica Marfil Osicos, Janmar Ismas, John Paul Capalac, Roniellex
Tarucan
 Learning Objectives

- Denote the significance of social media and the internet for as a

political platform;

- Describe how social media and technology was utilized by

significant figures
modern day politics;

- Distinguish and differentiate the electoral campaigns of the

Internet Age from the previous years; and
S L I D E 2
- Simplify and explain how the internet and social media changed
politics
Introduction
With the continuous growth of social media presence
around the world, the Philippines, dubbed as the "Social
Networking Capital of the World" (Liao, 2008) has been
using the Internet for various purposes ranging from
entertainment, source of information, collaborations and
other conventional purposes. The introduction of the
Information Age, or Digital Age superficially empowered
the people of various background in voicing out their
thoughts, opinions as well as the online partisans of
different sectors and beliefs spreading their information
through the way the people want to today-efficient and
convenient. The thought of data and credibility being the
key commodity of everything in this digital age throughout
the plethora of social networking sites, it was only a
matter of time when people realize the power tool that is
social media - more specifically as a political platform by
different government officials, political figures and S L I D E 3
socialites.
Social Media as a Political Platform
Social media today is thought of as an
"Online World for Young People and
Political News," (Nieman Reports, 2008) as
it offers the plethora of enjoyment,
satisfaction and as a source of information
that is very evident for the growth of one's
personal and professional interest. As
prominent as it is, social media are
inclined towards younger audience
specifically those considered to be a part
Millennials and Gen Z generation. It has
offered them a wide online virtual space
for them to interact, trade opinions with
each other and have their voices be heard
no matter their social status, profession
and life background. In the spark of this,
social media platforms such as FacebookS L I D E 4

and Twitter have slowly gained credibility

Social Media as a Political Platform
- a newspaper not taking the form of a
daily print of morning paper that one reads
as they drink their coffee nor the evening
news that highlights the events of the
whole day. Today, through these social
media platforms it is finally available when
and where we want it to be and so it was
only a matter of time before any form of
politics enters the scene.

S L I D E 5
The youngest generation — millennials and Generation Z — are set to
exercise their political muscle in 2020, making up 37% of the
electorate, according to a new study by Pew Research.
S L I D E 6
 Fast and Real Time

The political aspect has drastically changed in the

last couple of decades with the Internet and Social
Media playing such a large role in this change. is
now considered a vital role in political campaigns
and movements as well a the way it can affect the
views of the people and with the influences of their
votes. These days, candidates and their supporters
constantly "flood" different social networking sites
such as the giants Facebook and Twitter in the
form of their own respective pages, twitter
accounts and advertisements which would
broadcast their propagandas. Not only does it gain
traction for its users, but also the sympathy and
emotions of the people being their key of
garnering their votes (Caleb, 2018).

S L I D E 7
Fast and Real Time

Direct screenshot from President

Donald Trump USA's 45th President's
Verified Twitter Account as of March
1, 2019. It clearly shows more than
50 million followers are actively
supporting Trump even after post
elections.

S L I D E 8
 Share and Retweets
Another great factor is concerned regarding the real
time capability and updates of news virtually anytime
and anywhere, one way that social media turned into
this powerful tool is its undefeated speed in sharing
news, poll surveys and even propagandas and
rumors. As much as we'd like to deny it, while we are
capable of going to an online website to read news,
people of any age these days prefer to spend their
time on Facebook and Twitter rather than any serious
toned websites like CNN and New York Times. This
means that we often get all the trending facts and
stories through our online friends that appear in our
feed

S L I D E 9
Social Media as a Political Platform

The table shows the amount of mentions and retweets by leading news
companies online with Donald Trump clearly leading the social media
campaign. This is one factor thought of as to why Donald Trump won the
Presidential Campaign

S L I D E 1 0
At your Fingerprints
One of the most vital parts of social media is its
capability of having direct interaction with
politicians. In previous years during election
periods, the only time that people would be able to
interact with their hopeful candidates are through
meeting de avance or MDAs or if the political or
candidate decides to do a publicity stunt to gain the
favor of the people and it is proven that it does help
in their respective campaigns and anyone who does
fail to do so has a slimmer chance of winning.
Thanks to modern technology, a politician could
simply utilize social media to announce an online
event whether in the form of AMAs (Ask me
Anything), going live on Facebook for
announcements and to interact with its viewers and
who knows, maybe even virtual reality might be
used for political purposes. When it comes to the
social media platform, the possibilities are going to
be S L I D E 1 1
limitless in the way how the politician and its
advisors could think of utilizing this power.
Fast and Real Time

Direct screenshot from Obama's

Verified Twitter Account as of March
1, 2019. He created a Reddit Thread
where he hosted an AMA (Ask me
Anything) session while utilizing
another social network which is
Twitter to spread the news.

S L I D E 1 2
Everything's
Permitted
In terms of demographics however, politicians
are capable of targeting certain audiences to
make sure that their voice and messages are
being heard by the right audience. May it be for
a certain gender, age group, ethnicity, social
background and place of residency they are able
to tailor their advertisements through
Facebook's algorithm and it, but you might feel
that a mustn't be surprised that made for you.
analytics for targeted advertising. You may not
notice certain advertisement is talking to you
personally, you was not any form of coincidence. S L I D E 1 3

It was specifically made for you.

Everything's Permitted

Sample of Facebook's Page Analytics which aims to target certain

age groups, interests, gender, interests and many more. S L I D E 1 4
Lies and Deceit
One of the other ways social media is turning into a political platform is its capabilities of
spreading lies and deceit in the forms of rumors, fake news and conspiracies for the opposition of
a certain candidate. Political campaigns are now influenced by almost any story, regardless if it's
proven true or false, as long as its spread like wildfire in social media, it has then done its part of
influencing the people. And with the spread of such concept online, one does tend to get
confused or worst believe the lies created by anonymous people online. Memes for example are a
mixture of the reality of the situation, satirical implications, direct lies as well as unconventional
speculations that affect even the most dedicated supporters of each candidate. Satirical news
sites for example may look authentic and legitimate enough to be believed by the common man,
even taking the form of clickbait stories or trolls that use misleading headlines to gain traction
after all, people would prefer reading short one liners that spending their time reading and doing
their own research in the topic to find out the truth. Another one is the political biases of certain
sites for their chosen candidates. As a quick tip, a great deal of diligence is needed to believe
anything-one should take the time to research in finding out the truth rather than regret it once
the wrong man is seated in the office.

S L I D E 1 5
Sense of
Confirmation
Another factor often misunderstood is the so-called power of confirmation bias. Facebook and
Twitter are created to connect with people, specifically those that are close to you enough such as
family members and close friends and more often than not, the opinions between you and them
are similar to each other which is why most of the time you and they share the same sympathies
on different issues, including politics. Vast majorities of Facebook Posts and Tweets tend to
express a specific point of view, specifically the one that you already hold. This creates this
illusion online that everybody thinks the same way as you do online which creates the filtered
bias between you and your friends. This is the reason why certain opinions are disregarded
because it goes against the embedded beliefs that one already holds and not even admitting that
they are also just influenced as well. More often than not, social media tell you what you wanted
to hear as a form of validation and the so-called fortification of a certain mindset between one
another. For this reason, social media may reinforce our opinions and have us close minded to a
certain point of view that it will be heinous enough for us to entertain nor consider the
unconventional opinions of others. However, if you do make an effort to connect with various
people with diverse standpoints and believes, you can overcome this bias and create this virtual
space a healthy, anonymous and open space for open-minded people. Throughout the years, the
future of politics will still find different ways that we may have not thought of today. With social
media still being relatively new as well as its continuous improvement, we're just starting S L Ito see
D E 1 6
its impact on society, even if it does look like it has greatly impacted the course of life right now.
Many political changes are surely to be improved and crumbled through social media.
Sense of
Confirmation
Concepts such as internet voting are even
considered today to have more people participate
in elections, turning these social media platforms
into a more powerhu participate inal tool. As social
media become ever more popular, its influence will
surely increase over time. And even we are
interested to observe how this willplay out.

S L I D E 1 7
How Obama Won the White
House and the Internet -
Twice
An American Attorney, a politician and also a great father,
Barack Hussein Obama II, more commonly known as Barack
Obama was the 44th man to be chosen by American
citizens, taking in the role as the President of the United On the Job. President Obama as
he was having a direct call with
States for two terms from 2009 and 2017. Aside from his his team while holding his own
ideologies and platforms that he had delivered for 9 years cellular phone writing
something to post online
such as his healthcare law of Obamacare, the withdrawal of
the US Army from Iraq, countless domestic and foreign
policies and more, he was also declared the first man to
have won the internet for his innovative ways of using
S L I D E 1 8
mobile phones.
Connection is
Power
An American Attorney, a politician and also a great
father, Barack Hussein Obama II, more commonly
known as Barack Obama was the 44th man to be
chosen by American citizens, taking in the role as
the President of the United States for two terms
from 2009 and 2017. Aside from his ideologies and
platforms that he had delivered for 9 years such as
his healthcare law of Obamacare, the withdrawal
of the US Army from Iraq, countless domestic and
foreign policies and more, he was also declared the
first man to have won the internet for his
innovative ways of using mobile phones.
stronghold states, Indubitably, it was proven
effective, and the best thing about it was Obama
isn't even needed to be there in person visiting
each of the opponent's loyal states all thanks to
promotional and electoral campaign materials sent
through emails, phones and the Internet S L I D E 1 9
altogether.
Winning the
Internet
Obama's edge of winning the hearts of millions
was through the campaign's digital efforts. With
the current digital age, it has no doubt reshaped
the current generations technique to appease their
hunger in politics, not just through the traditional
methods of campaigning with their megaphones
held up high and chanting Obama's name, but also
the innovative way on how they were able to
garner the votes and the fundraising needed.

S L I D E 2 0
Thinking Differently
If there's one thing Obama was best known is that they knew
young people get their information differently, that's why they
sought their support differently as well. At this digital age,
people no longer settle on what's coming up in the morning or
evening news. It can now travel infinitely and anywhere thanks
to the development and innovation that is the Internet. With
the trend of young age groups being technologically inclined
and them looking at their phones and computer screens
almost the entire them, Obama's team has found and
developed ways to take advantage of this trend. They were
able to create a master list of emails that belongs to this
certain group age, studied and found out the names of
undecided voters who have publicly said their decisions online
and then went on and talk to them online.

S L I D E 2 1
Thinking Differently
Obama's team was able to tailor its social media presence as it
caters to the personalities and the way of thinking of younger
generations. It is no doubt that the young generations have
learned to adapt and be skeptical on the things that they've
learned online, they were never the type of people to be
spoonfed information and accept it willingly, specifically when
it comes to marketing and political efforts, rather they were
persuaded by the genuine information and explanations of
Obama's campaign. Obama wasn't simply competing with
Romney the same way his opponent was competing, they
knew they needed something to do and they took control of
that edge. Team Obama fine-tuned each and every possible
way of communication to get the people's attention online
while encouraging their partisans to continuously share it on
Facebook, retweet it on Twitter, and spread the words on the
streets and online by their own will to their friends and loved
ones. Evidently, it was a success for Obama and the whole of
America.equipments. S L I D E 2 2
Thinking Differently
Obama wasn't simply competing with Romney the same way
his opponent was competing, they knew they needed
something to do and they took control of that edge. Team
Obama fine-tuned each and every possible way of
communication to get the people's attention online while
encouraging their partisans to continuously share it on
Facebook, retweet it on Twitter, and spread the words on the
streets and online by their own will to their friends and loved
ones. Evidently, it was a success for Obama and the whole of
America..

S L I D E 2 3
Wielded Power
It was only a matter of time when other politicians tried to utilize what Obama had used to
win the election, but it was never that simple to copy a strategy to win-specifically wielding
the power of the Internet. Obama's campaign had the finances to support his staff in his
campaign. As society these days became more technologically inclined as televisions and
printed means of communication are being dethroned from their 'deteriorating' stature, email
was and still the efficient, effective and valuable source of fundraising trump card for
politicians.

Facebook and Twitter have continued to be the dominant outreach platforms to this day with
new social networking platforms popping up every year. Obama was able to realize the
analytics of these websites that they were able to identify persuadable votes. As Teddy Goff
said - "Any Senate or House race or governor's race that does all that pretty well is going to
be at significant advantage over any other race."

With new technological tools always created and continuously developed, manufacturing a
specific way for online campaign is still a long way from what it is. However, the current social
media platforms are surely an effective tool, if and only if it is utilized properly.
S L I D E 2 4
Checking in Twice
Seeking re-elections, the president is capable of using his officer to his advantage for
candidacy. Press conference and powerful events such as Air shows but aside from that,
Obama had millions of Facebook supporters and followers on Twitter, and continuously steady
growing followers, an army of supporters that is definitely better and more personalized that
a list of email database. His team was fully aware and ready as they were able to do it more
than 50 times already with each state during the primaries and again in the general. They
had the experience to do it once, and to do it one more time. Obama was able to go and
check in twice at the White House and in 2016, nпо candidate was capable to getting that
amount of start online.
Enter

S L I D E 2 5
Maintenance and
Coordination
Mark McKinnon, President Bush's senior adviser during the 2000 and 2004 elections
commended Obama's team for utilizing the internet. It was dubbed as a "seminal and
transformative race" that has "leveraged the Internet in ways we never imagined." It was
able to keep maintenance and coordination that the "paradigm got turned upside down and
truly became bottom up instead of top down."

S L I D E 2 6
Incumbent Role
Overall, Obama took 52 percent of America's total votes with his 338-163 dominant sweep
win. It was a stunning victory for Obama indeed. Who knew that someone who was new to the
race of a national political stature ended that day as the very first Black American to deserve
the title as the President of the United States as well as the key to the White House. He
admitted that he was never the likeliest candidate to be in office and knew that they didn't
start with the finances
You sent
endorsements and presence in the country. If it weren't for the effort of his team and the
working men and women of America that have given what they can as well as his online
presence, he wouldn't have beat have given what they can ad evidently the Presidency.

It was no doubt that the Internet was the key to his winning the presidency twice. With
volunteers from different parts of the country, he was able to affiliate the greater portion of the
country and stand up together for what they believed in, he was able to garner $600 million in
contributions.

Obama's Team was capable of running a campaign using very modern and innovative tools
that were not even intended for that purpose. He created a coalition, talked about new issues
he reinvented the way campaigns are run. "It was a multinational corporation versus a Snon-
L I D E 2 7
profit one," as stated by Simon Rosenberg, president and founder of NDN.
The Essentials of Support
The Internet grew from being a means of transmission where entertainment and social life
could be pleased as a way of connecting with friends and loved ones into a more meaningful
and definitely worth mentioning bridge for Americans to participate in the ongoing politics,
spending their time into politics rather than just resting their mind as they go home looking
at every poll, survey and live discussion online every step at a time. It was carefully
designed to maximize online discussions while at the same time giving them what they could
do on their own time. In an effort, the campaign was able to mobilize the supporters to send
out counterattack efforts for false rumors about Obama. Obama's campaign reached
massive proportions that if told to spread something through calls, they really would. It was
an affiliate marketing strategy from the start for the purpose of not putting money for ill
fortunes but rather for the purpose of the greater good of America. In any direction, the story
of Obama's campaign is a story worth mentioning. The camaraderie, creativeness and
enthusiasm manifested through a plethora of websites and social networking mediums
resulted in the voluntary and genuine act of kindness, love, persistence and passion in
putting Obama in office. It was constantly adding new features and efforts until the end of
the campaign as Obama slowly approached the White House. Either way, his Presidency will
surely be something to be studied for the years to come. He was the first man to win the
hearts of the people on the Internet and the first African-American President of the United
States. "It was a peer-to-peer, bottom-up, open source kind of ethos that infused this S L I D E 2 8
campaign." (Benko, 2008)
Internet and the 2010
Philippine Election
The 2010 Philippine Presidential and Vice-
Presidential Election was a necessary feat in
selecting the 15th President of the Philippines, it
was a year of prominent in which everyone had the
edge of winning the presidential seat. This was
also the very first time it has implemented an
automated elections as pursuant to Republic Act Benigno Aquino II. Joseph
9369 which authorizes the Commission of Elections Estrada and Manuel Villar, the
top three powerhouse of the
or COMELEC in using an Automated Election
Presidential Elections in which it
System. was the first time it implemented
a full automation of elections in
the country.

S L I D E 2 9
The Philippines as an Electoral
Battleground
Unlike the United States of America, the Philippines is considered an electoral paradox. It is
overall a democratic country while at the same time considered as one of the most liberal
societies in Asia. With centuries of western and south eastern influence in terms of cultures,
politics and way of life, the Philippines was able to conduct an inspiring and non-violent
revolution that everybody knows as the People Power Movement of 1986, and another one in
2001. Moving forward a few decades, it has widely accepted and embedded into the
transitioning generations the new media receiving feats such as the texting capital of the
world and even the highest usage time of social media and web surfing in general. The
Philippines is truly the Pearl of the Orient Sea, beauty on the outside attracts all the possible
means to take control of it, considering the country as an economic basket of Asia with the
economic value provided by overseas workers while at the same time certain political figures
have been prominent having considered politics as a family business.

S L I D E 3 0
The Philippines as an Electoral
Battleground
So how did all these things work out for the country? How could the Philippines handle the
contemporaneous aspects of merging traditional, modern and postmodern means of influence
in different fields. Politics remained traditional. its culture adapts a modern take and its
technological and media taking on a postmodern particularly information toll. And how could
all of this affect one another? Understanding the effects of the digital and internet age in the
Philippine shorten a disregarded topic, when considered in a political manner. Philippines
politics appear steady from the outside but underneath all the facades of a typical election,
certain with the internet and digital factors are slowly penetrating it gaining influence and
effectiveness

S L I D E 3 1
Social Media's Influence on the 2010
Elections
Traditional ways of campaigning while still viable are now not as effective as it was before. This is
the reason why politicians have seen the potential of the Internet as a strategic and cost-
effective way of spreading the words of their name to gain the influence of millions online. The
so-called social media sphere, an online space considered as a public area filled with anonymity
is an area where millions of Filipinos are actively participating through online conversations,
forums and pages.

Based on a study by asiafoundation.org, the Philippines has also been considered as the most
"social nation" in the world standing at a strong 41 million active Facebook users with the
demographics of 18-65 years old in all major areas of the country, taking control of these
numbers could very well turn the tides of any election nor any national decision that is in the
hands of its people.

Social media are now an umbilical cord for millions of citizens in the country as a source of
information. It is capable of being a free way of promotional marketing, provides highlights to
certain platforms, advocacy and social issues, capable of providing open letters to the public and
of course, helps the hopeful candidates to promote their campaign, widely, freely and most often
than not, unfiltered. And with that, social media might as well be the basis for people toS Lmake
I D E 3 2
decisions during elections.
 The Aquino
Legacy - From
Noynoy to PNoy
Fueled by the wave of goodwill and the transfer of the
people's power and beliefs after the death of his mother,
Benigno Simeon Cojuanco Aquino III or simply Noynoy
has given his words of the promise of leading the nation
towards a prosperous and straight path.

Through the six years of being the country's most

Benigno Aquino III, in a cabinet
powerful man and being responsible for determining the meeting still seen wearing the
fate as he led a hundred million Filipinos, it is no doubt yellow ribbon that has been the
that he was able to fight the corruption and the typical family's symbol for hope in the
'woes' of the previous Arroyo administration. The country country.
was able to become one of the best performing
economies worldwide and welcomed the Philippines for
years of prosperity.

S L I D E 3 3
The Aquino
Legacy - From
Noynoy to PNoy
But as any man and woman to take on the role of
leading a country, the price of prosperity was never a
straight path unfilled with cracks and bumps. The so-
called "Daang Matuwid" was never meant to be smooth.
There are social issues, calamities, persistent corruption,
poverty, unpeaceful peace processes, urban
dysfunctions and even malfunctioning trains and Benigno Aquino III, in a cabinet
railroads were some of those bumps, even having a meeting still seen wearing the
large manhole due to a failed military operation. yellow ribbon that has been the
family's symbol for hope in the
But he was able to carry on his job as a leader through country.
campaign promises both kept and broken, steering an
emerging economy through global storms, his
predominantly public relations with the public and even
his bachelor stature as the first President of the country
to not have a first wife. He was not just the powerful
man of the country but also an influencer and even S L I D E 3 4

considered like a celebrity due to the Internet and Social

How PNoy Won the President and the
Internet
PNoy, just like Obama, utilized social media as their ticket to winning the elections. Political
analysts were also keen with the importance of the Internet to politics. PNoy already had the
political age thanks to his name that the emotional factor over the death of his mother also
played a large role in putting another Aquino into office. PNoy's electoral victory, however,
depended more on the symbolism of death than on the more common disapproval towards a
previous administration and even the Internet, but the sympathy of the masses was also the key
as to how he won the virtual world.

PNoy, just like his mother Cory, was never seeking for the power of Presidency but the
circumstances obliged him to continue the public duties of his family of rescuing the country
from the depths of corruption and despair. This was also a motivation as the netizens were fully
aware of it.

PNoy also used a lot of one liners that were very pleasant and acceptable to the people. "Kapag
walang corrupt, walang mahirap," "Kayo ang boss ko, "Ituloy ang daang matuwid" are some of
the bests ways he was able to get the heart of many Filipinos. These lines have been embedded
on the front pages of leading newspapers and countless media outlets but also sparked political
campaigns of blogs, posts and even hashtags on social media. S L I D E 3 5
How PNoy Won the President and the
Internet
Netizens fueled by their beliefs and trust for their chosen candidate have literally bamboozled
the online world in the country as they continuously share and even spam these liners online to
families and friends. But it didn't just get the heart of many Filipinos but also gained global
recognition as his anti-corruption slogan won a Public Affairs Asia's Gold Standard Award for
Political Communications giving proof that it has been effectively brought into the public
consciousness both in real life and online.

PNoy also cultivated the Internet, specifically the realm of social media as a way of contacting
the youth. On the first two months of his campaign, he already had more than 90,000 online
"friends," more than any of his competition. He also utilized a website of his own meant for
public engagement online with the citizens. In other words, PNoy was able to gain the favor of
the online world through his cyber-campaigning, it was an edge for him in his road towards
Malacañang.

President Noynoy Aquino has combined the so-called political influence on their name, the ritual
and emotional construct embedded to him the country as well as the mobilization and utilization
of different mediums made possible my the digital age of journalism, media corporations and
social media. He was able to combine your traditional campaign strategies, moral movements
S L I D E 3 6
and social reformations altogether.
How PNoy Won the President and the
Internet
Anyone would be amazed with the modern technology at our disposal at well as its capabilities.
Mass communication tools have been prominent for nearly two decades now. Text messaging
was one of the main factors as to why President Joseph Estrada was ousted into office thanks to
an organized means of communication. Obama was able to win the hearts of Americans through
the revolutionary political strategy of using social media, websites, blogs and online news. Since
then, even the country like the Philippines has started to replicate that act just like how Aquino
was able to win the country and evidently, the position granted to him by the people.

S L I D E 3 7
 Internet and the 2016
Philippine Election
The 2016 Philippine Election is the latest and definitely one most
the most controversial one from all the elections in the country.
It was an all-star competition where everybody had an edge
once again conferring even to a year or two before the actual
elections. Various trends had defined the 2016 Philippine
Elections which included the rise of an already influential name
from the South, the return of a controversial family from the
North, the continuity or change dilemma of the previous
administration, the hacking conspiracy of voters' data and of
course, the power of the Internet and Social Media in online
propaganda wars.

As with all the elections in the country, the main factor for a
successful campaign is their campaign platforms, the overall
appeal that they have for the public and of course, the trust and
confidence of the people for their chosen candidate. However,
S L I D E 3 8
this presidential election was won and lost through social media,
some lost and some emerged as winners.
 Internet and the 2016
Philippine Election
Evidently, social media's role has been a critical factor than the
previous. years. The proportion of Filipinos with access to Internet
and sources of online information has drastically changed a lot in
the recent years based on a Nielsen case study. As digital
advertising agency managing partner Carlo Ople said, "There are
now more Filipinos on the Internet and the low cost of
smartphones has enabled them to be online," it is no doubt for a
fact that the Internet, particularly social media has become the
new medium for campaigning and whoever takes interest into it
has a greater chance of winning.

Traditional campaign, however, was still prominent and effective,

posters and slogans are still very much effective specifically for
each province a candidate has solid control of, just like how
Rodrigo Duterte controls Davao, Bongbong Marcos in Ilocos, Leni
Robredo in Bicol and the ever-changing decisions and choice of S L I D E 3 9
the people in Metro Manila. Television as well can reach a
nationwide scale to run political advertisements that could cost
 The Philippines had used an automated system for
#COMELeak Incident
the first time in 2010. With its success, it was only
right to use it for the 2016 elections. But a break-in
into the system exposing more than 70 million
voter's data was enough to have the Commission on
Elections, the National Privacy Commission and the
Data Privacy Act into the mettle.

It was six weeks away from the national elections

when the incident happens. Hackers group
Anonymous Philippines showed the flaws of the
security features of the machines as they said it was
their best interest that the elections be ran in all
honesty and integrity for the people, by the people.
But the hacking did not stop there as another group
of hackers, LulzSec Pilipinas, was able to access all
the digital data stored in a database which contains
all registered voter records, both active and
dormant. It is still considered as the biggest leak of
personal data in Philippine history and definitely one
of the biggest government data breaches in the
whole world which ignites controversies and S L I D E 4 0

questions whether or not the 2016 Philippine

#COMELeak Incident
With risk still apparent and cyberattacks being an
unforeseen event, the organizations and names
held accountable for the incident has taken extra
measure in beefing up their systems for potential
attacks. This has ignited issues concerning
cybersecurity awareness and threats and that a
shared responsibility should require in terms of
protecting the valuable information of every
Filipino voter.

S L I D E 4 1
Making it into Social Media
With the continuous improvement of social
media such as Facebook and Twitter. With
the continues social media platforms
weren't really meant for Political Purposes
but rather a way to communicate with
others online but it didn't stop bringing the
names of candidates the same way any
viral faces were brought into the platform in
the form of memes created by netizens that
could negatively of positively impact the
stature of someone in an instant.

However, most social media posts from

Rodrigo Duterte together with Leni candidates are often bombarded by an
Robredo in a photograph taken that opposition, mostly propagandas aimed to
shows both exchanging smiles. spread misinformation about a candidate.
Netizens immediately turned the What's worse is that it could grow bigger if
photo viral and "shipping" them as traditional media picks up the speculation
the perfect Presidential and Vice
and becomes a major concern the greatest
Presidential candidates.
example would be the alleged corruption of
Jejomar Binay in Makati City, which greatly
S L I D E 4 2
cost him his campaign in 2016.
Making it into Social Media
In another matter, it still depends on how the
candidate uses social media. And the end of the
day, their strong willingness, authenticity and
platforms is their best bet in winning the electoral
race. It's still the message of the politicians that
shall be heard and felt by the people may it be
online or not.

Rodrigo Duterte together with Leni

Robredo in a photograph taken that
shows both exchanging smiles.
Netizens immediately turned the
photo viral and "shipping" them as
the perfect Presidential and Vice
Presidential candidates.

S L I D E 4 3
Rise of Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte, more commonly known as Digong or Rody, is a Filipino politician of
strong wit, iron fist and a stature of power. He is known as a strong mayor and vice mayor
of Davao City for more than 25 years in a span of numerous terms. He was also the very
first man from the southern areas of Mindanao to run for the position of the President of
the Philippines, but it was not an approach any other politician has done before.

As early as 2015, a year before the 2016 Presidential Campaign there has been
speculations of his intentions of running for president, specifically in social media through
posts and blogs from both high and low-profile websites. However, he denied these
several times even though he already had a following of supporters flocking around him.

Numerous politicians from different party lists tried to get the favor of Duterte as they
visited him from time to time offering gifts and conducting private meetings, only a few
realized that this was what Duterte needed to get public coverage and have the whole
nation get more intrigued in him.

S L I D E 4 4
Rise of Duterte
After a few months of being quiet, on November 21, after a private meeting with his
fraternity brothers from San Beda's College of Law, Duterte has officially announced his
campaign for presidency together with his running mate Alan Peter Cayetano who he
considered the best bet of the country to lead together with him. Through that
announcement, the public was overjoyed and showed full support not just in real life but
in social media as well. Thousands of shares and retweets in different social media
platforms were enough to spread the word like wildfire and so the Internet was once again
showing a trend that is anything about Duterte.

S L I D E 4 5
How Duterte
won the How did Duterte win the Internet during the electoral
campaign? It was an unconventional way for a politician
Internet specifically for other hopefuls of the presidential
elections but Duterte has always been a public figure in
his home city of Davao and of course, the whole
Mindanao, if someone up north asked about this Davao
mayor then they'd only say that he has been leading his
city for a quarter of a century and has imposed a strict
and disciplined manner for his citizens that other cities
have been trying to mirror for years.

People believed that he could be the change the country

finally needs and not just the false hope and sweet
words of politicians promising for change only to be left
out. When Duterte said that he would convert the
current democratic government into a federal
parliamentary form, it was already an outcry for
attention for both supporters and the oppositions, but in
the end, it was still a win for Duterte as this would only
give him more exposure, not just by the nation but S L Ithe
D E 4 6
powerful nations of the whole world as well.
How Duterte
won the Duterte has also been at most part unfiltered in
Internet the way he talks, and the people liked his way of
talking as opposed to the typical formal and classy
manner of communication of previous politicians.
He showed that he is no doubt a normal man with
the special capability of leading a nation with
Davao city providing the proof of his success.
Through the months following the announcement,
numerous Facebook pages and Twitter accounts
have been created to show support in his
campaign and from the small group of enthusiasm,
it was able to surpass the already established Fan
Page and Groups of other candidates ten-fold.

Due to this trend, the people believed that Duterte

might as well be the best bet of the country and on
the noon of June 30, 2016, he became the 16th
President of the Philippines, succeeding Benigno
"PNoy" Aquino III. S L I D E 4 7
How Duterte Online polls and surveys showed that he had a trust
rating of 91%, the highest ever since the Marcoses.
won the Immediately, his first Cabinet meeting was the

Internet agenda often disregarded and left by the previous

administrations as well as his platforms of the way
against drugs.

This sparked even more intrigued as the man

immediately went to work providing the people the
type of public service they wanted. A strong man at
the top of the government. But Duterte knew his
influence was never meant to stop when he became
President.

Powered by social media, numerous supporters

offered updates that have reached international
media and even took the interest of different
countries including the ASEAN members, the United
States of America, the Chinese Power House as well
as the Russians-more commonly known as some of
the strongest nations in the whole world in terms of
S L I D E 4 8
economy, technological advancement and military
operations. Up to this day, Duterte can be seen in
Media and Cyberspace Impacts to
Elections - Future of Politics in the
Digital Age
Judging from the development of the Internet and Technology up to now. one can easily
visualize that the further development of technology and devices will result in an
innovative and more viable tools with features not yet even comprehensible today. Should
that advancement go forth, it will be unlikely that the current discussion of ways to avoid
problems and current issues will provide us a clear solution and possibly a well-defined
standard.

Government officials and politicians already have a wide array of tools to use to spread
their information and name during election periods. Blogs are easily made, a single post on
Facebook is a few clicks away, and a picture speaks a thousand words. Moving forward, it is
a must for candidates to build up the ropes to providing information without unintentionally
misleading them. The netizens as well should also realize that it is possible that the next
elections would be more censored or controlled due to numerous bans and laws enacted in
the cyberspace. This ban, while intentional, aims to ensure a level of fairness each hopeful
during the electoral period. We only hope that these government

S L I D E 4 9
Are we Covering This?
As any news, it is up to the jurisdiction and choice of journalists in choosing which
candidates to cover and evidently how much. Those choices alone are already a deciding
factor who would get more public exposure, both acceptance and outrage as a simple
name recognition plays a big factor to drive their campaigns during their elections. This is
the main reason as to why some candidates felt invisible as they cannot win enough
interest from the media. The best example being Trump's outsized proportion of media
coverage due to his unfiltered tweets on Twitter, public speaking and outright accusations
in his campaigns that have given him National and International Coverage he needs to
stand out in the crowd. And with the integration of social media for these journalists, it will
always be fast enough that are capable of updating the public in a matter of seconds.

S L I D E 5 0
Biases and Scripts

S L I D E 5 1
 Biases and Scripts
The table shows who are the main sources of news by America with the left being more
liberal and right more conservative. Looking closely, right inclined news stations are some
of the most popular international news network.

Based on research by Pew Research Center, many media outlets attract partisan
audiences thus radiate political biases in their coverage. With today's news consumers
getting their facts with a simple click and flick of the wrist on their personal computers
and mobile devices from a quick internet search, many have started to differentiate
themselves by shifting from news to a more contextual and analytical manner of news.
However, this isn't always the case as selective exposure provides the tendency the
general public had to seek out valid sources that wouldn't challenge our intellects and
beliefs about the world.

It is for a fact that there is relationship between selective exposure and the division of
political favors in any electoral campaign in any nation and it is clearly related to the rise
of partisans delight in their media sources, the blogs and websites they visit as well as the
ideological bias.

S L I D E 5 2
 Biases and Scripts
There is another concern where complex ideologies of politicians in their electoral
platforms are often oversimplified and saturated by news presenters through simplified
scripts which might result into confusion in the future should the politician win. For
example, media's coverage of Hillary Clinton being a corrupt politician and Donald Trump
is a racist and misogynistic man have dominated not just the electoral coverage but also
the outrage on social media in which they do not realize it has been heavily modified and
filtered to only have a certain perspective in mind. With social media in mind, the masses
believe it as a direct line to their politicians which creates an "intimate relationship" with
the person they've chosen whilst never meeting them in person.

S L I D E 5 3
Checking the Facts - Authentic or
Not?
Just like any other news, it should be considered that facts
must be checked out and verified to be real and accurate.
Delivery rushed news based from speculations are surely
going to be an issue that could even affect the name of
these media groups. One of the most notable
developments in journalism is its capability of leading the
outcomes of the elections. (Radcliffe, 2019)

It should also be considered that while certain news from

even the biggest names of media corporation might be
made up or considered fake-it isn't always the case as you
have to consider that these media groups also aim to be
the very first source of everything as they are still a
business in mind. It is in their best interest the name of the
company that they represent. It is still however a fact that
the netizens still exercise their diligence to find out what's
reliable facts to those that aren't. S L I D E 5 4
Summary :P
This chapter tackles about the effects of the Internet on elections in association to the
continuous development of technology, recognizing it as a form of political platform through
different social networking sites, blogs and websites, emails and any form of transmitting
information online. It provides an overview on different ways winning candidates from
recently prominent figures of the past decades have utilized the World Wide Web as their
ticket to not just winning the presidential seat but the Internet as well. The chapter also
discussed some of the political strategies considered and facts related to it that shows how
the Internet has shaped their campaign for their own purposes. The chapter also discussed
key components of the impacts of social is for the Digital Age associating it to the winning
factor of certain politicians. Social media, while aimed as being a way to communicate with
people online, have continuously been recognized as more than that as it was used for
political purposes, thus igniting more ways how the Internet could be molded for the next
years to come. The netizens, however, should still practice their diligence in terms of politics
and recognizing all the facts taken and presented from the internet; it must also be
considered that the Internet merely being a political tool is an understatement, rather they
must consider it a major transmission of data that could curve the waves towards the
politicians' goal of achieving what they want.
S L I D E 5 5
Thank You
For The
Attention