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Netizens aired out their disappointment after the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) confirmed that it hired 375 contractual employees last year, which cost the agency Php70 million.
During an interview with ABS-CBN, PCOO undersecretary Kris Ablan confirms the hiring but denied that recruited employees were to be trolls to partake and interfere with political discussions online.
“We don’t have trolls in PCOO… Social media specialists [do] not equate to trolls,” said Ablan.
It was a response to the Commission on Audit‘s report, which showed that the accomplishment reports of the hired social media specialists did not reflect their supposed tasks.
Meanwhile, netizens and even personalities reacted to the confirmation. Rowena Salvacion was shocked to know the scale of PCOO’s mass hiring.
375 contractuals hired by PCOO para sa trabaho na mag post sa socmed. wow. just wow. that's worth P70M.
iba din.— Rowena L. Salvacion (@wengsalvacion) July 9, 2021
PinoyAkoBlog claimed that the salaries of its bashers came from the Filipinos taxes.
https://twitter.com/PinoyAkoBlog/status/1413411603639271427
JC Punongbayan can’t help but just laugh at Ablan’s explanation and even praised ABS-CBN correspondent Mike Navallo for his interview.
https://twitter.com/jcpunongbayan/status/1413373430691352576
A netizen claimed that even bigger companies don’t need as many videographers, editors, directors, and social media staff.
Who needs that many videographers?? Editors?? Directors?? SocMed ppl?? Even large scale companies don't have that much on their team. https://t.co/NHTbmQFQeP pic.twitter.com/bjwKzyUAog
— Pao #LabanLeni2022 #Diokno2022 #Colmenares2022 (@pcnsnji) July 9, 2021
Another said that PCOO would never put “internet troll” as the job title when hiring.
Malamang, alangan naman ilagay niyo sa job title: internet troll. Tanginang palusot yan. https://t.co/FcrnZQmtPM
— Dalai Llama (@HisWooliness) July 10, 2021
A human resources worker who had to convince people to hire additional manpower was disappointed by the news.
Bilang HR na isa sa nakaranas ng hirap para mag justify ng additional manpower last year nakakapanlumo ang ganitong mga balita. Naalala ko nung 2020, ang main goal namin ay magtipid kasi ung ibang budget ay ibabalik sa Natl govt to augment nung ECQ/Mecq days https://t.co/FfMq8eI5vG
— Keith (@khyt18) July 9, 2021
Someone assumed that the hired social media specialists may have been the ones editing videos that are filled with fake news.
Social media specialists? Taga-edit siguro nung nga YouTube videos na puro fake news ang laman lol https://t.co/M5tM86KPbM
— jasper gomez #JunkTerrorLaw (@jasperjgomez) July 9, 2021
In his interview, Ablan stated that the social media specialists were in charge of uploading their social media cards, their infographics on their Philippine Identification System programs, the country’s COVID-19 response, and updates regarding the vaccines.
Meanwhile, a Twitter used claimed that PCOO used Php70 million for their mass hiring but other branches of government agencies are undermanned and had to cut off employee benefits due to the “lack of budget.”
other govt agencies are under manned and bukod pa dun, na-cut pa yung ibang benefits ng EEs nila due to "lack of budget" daw. like???? https://t.co/hkVgiLJyab
— K for L (@thecoolcatmeow) July 9, 2021
According to COA’s annual report, PCOO’s hiring was “unrestricted and massive” which led to contractual employees outnumbering its 144 regular employees by 260%.
Contractual employees now make up 70% of its workforce.
