RESIGNED University of the Philippines executive vice president Dr. Teodoro Herbosa yesterday said he suspects that a “troll army” is behind hate posts that fueled public condemnation against him after he criticized the lack of health and safety protocols in community pantries.
He said his social media posts were daubed with political color just because he is working with the Duterte administration as a medical adviser for the National Task Force against COVID-19.
Appearing on the “Laging Handa” public briefing, Herbosa admitted he posted his eight-word tweet out of anger about the reported collapse and eventual death of a senior citizen while waiting for his turn to get free food and supplies from a community pantry in Quezon City last Friday.
His tweet, “Death by `community pantry’. I told you so!” unleashed a storm of angry reactions from netizens.
Herbosa has apologized and clarified that what he meant was that he was objecting to violations of public health standards like social distancing, which increase COVID-19 transmission.
“Nag-apologize ako at akala ko titigil. Hindi po tumigil. Lalo pang umigting. Naisip ko mukhang may troll army kasi yun pong tumutuligsa sa akin mga new accounts lang at mga anonymous accounts at ang sasakit po ng mga sinasabi nila, parang napakasama kong tao.
Demonyo ba ako?” he said.
(I apologized in the hope that the hate posts would stop. Instead, they got worse. I suspect there was a troll army behind it because the posts were from new accounts, many of them anonymous. They were using hurtful words, as if I am a wicked person. Am I truly evil?)
After reading hundreds of hate messages, most of them from complete strangers, he said he felt compelled to take a leave of absence and later reign from his university post.
