MANILA — A network of digital advocates thanked social media giant Meta after it took down the Facebook pages of several influencers promoting illegal online gambling.
Digital Pinoys National Campaigner Ronald Gustilo said that the takedown meant that the government and their group are serious and that more pages will be taken down.
“We thank Meta for swiftly acting on our joint request with CICC to take down the pages of influencers blatantly promoting illegal online gambling. We hope the remaining pages flagged in our initial report will be removed in the coming days,” said Gustilo.
Among the deleted pages are those of high-profile personalities such as Boy Tapang (5.5 million followers), Sachzna Laparan (9.7 million followers), Kuya Lex TV (100K followers), and Mark Anthony Fernandez (242K followers). A total of 20 influencers were included in the first batch submitted by Digital Pinoys and endorsed by CICC to Meta.
Gustilo said this is only the beginning of a wider crackdown.
“Some of these influencers thought they were untouchable—that we were bluffing. They had more than enough time to comply. They gambled with the law, and now they’re facing the consequences.”
He also lauded the CICC for its decisive action in protecting Filipino netizens from illegal gambling and online threats.
“Under the leadership of Asec. Aboy Paraiso, we’ve seen real, fast, and effective action. This is the kind of CICC we need—decisive, responsive, and unafraid. Congratulations to the entire CICC team.” (UnliNews Online)
