By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has partnered with TikTok to fight illegal recruitment and human trafficking, something worth commending in a digital world muddled by crime. In the first half of 2025 alone, the DMW logged over 300 cases of illegal recruitment and removed more than 60,000 fake job postings.
We remember TikTok for having taken the country by storm as a form of entertainment and escape from the pandemic lockdowns. But it has since evolved from sharing dancing clips, pranks, and goofing around into a vessel for bite-sized news.
Countless Pinoys these days discover the latest news content on TikTok rather than through traditional platforms. So, its campaign with DMW is sure to raise awareness and educate Filipinos about the dangers of false online job offers, especially those spread by shady recruiters who no longer operate physical offices.
This is social responsibility in action on the part of TikTok, which shows a clear willingness to be part of the solution, not the problem. And frankly, it puts to shame the lackluster response of other platforms that continue to profit from scam ads.
Meta, in particular, is infamous for allowing deepfake videos to spread unchecked, impersonating celebrities and business figures to bait people into bogus investments. Reporting mechanisms on Meta prove to be a slow, detached, and ineffective process.
Scammers know this, which is why Facebook has been their favorite go-to site to peddle their lies. Meta can take up to weeks to scrub a scam ad on its platform and, during that time, fresh ones have already appeared like weeds. It doesn’t take a genius to spot a fake ad, but it apparently takes a miracle to get Meta to act fast.
Koko finds his real voice?
I’ve never doubted the intelligence of Koko Pimentel — son of a parliamentary genius, bar topnotcher, and legal mind in his own right. But let’s be honest: his watchdog voice was oddly muted during the Duterte years. It felt complicit, if not conspiratorial.
Is this rediscovered courage now that he’s out of the Senate, out of his party, and defeated in a local race? Good for you, mister former senator, if you’ve finally found the freedom to speak truth to power. But, sadly, it took losing your seat and your party’s legacy to finally say, “Now we can be the mata ng bayan.”
You can’t blame many people, though, for doubting whether this stance of yours is a little too obvious as political convenience. The real test of having public interest first in your mind is if your watchdog bark stays loud when you’re no longer silenced by alliances — or sidelined by defeat.
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