By Dennis Gorecho
“Tengang kawali” is a popular Tagalog idiom that literally translates to “cooking pan ear.” It describes a person who plays deaf, pretends not to hear or deliberately ignores what others are saying or advising.
It is likened to a person’s inability to listen despite standing close to a frying pan.
Three plays in Set A of the 21st Virgin Labfest were grouped under this theme: “Password 123, Pilipinas 321” by Anthony Kim Vergara, “Human Rights Story of the Year” by Elijah Felice Rosales, and “Patayin ang mga Surot” by Floyd Scott Tiogangco.
“Password 123, Pilipinas 321” centers on Blackteam, a shady underground cyberspace operation disguised as a technical support center but actually functioning as a massive disinformation machine. The group is visited by a powerful government client seeking illegal cyber capabilities. It is a tech thriller that pulls back the curtain on the “troll farm” phenomenon.
“Human Rights Story of the Year” revolves around a reporter about to receive an international award for her coverage of extrajudicial killings (EJKs). During her farewell party, a former colleague declares that she does not deserve the recognition. The play explores the thin line between telling the truth and benefiting from the stories of others.
“Patayin ang mga Surot” takes place on the last night of Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency. As an Oplan Tokhang operation unfolds, tension mounts while a couple conducts its own extermination of bedbugs.
Collectively, the plays explore how society and those in authority ignore uncomfortable truths about power, corruption and systemic problems.
They likewise depict how truth becomes distorted through propaganda amid today’s fake news environment.
Fake news generally refers to misinformation or disinformation spread through various media platforms.
Social media plays a key role in shaping public discourse on politics, health, religion, current events, humanitarian aid, lifestyle, elections, and many other issues.
Disinformation is false information intentionally created to cause harm, while misinformation refers to inaccurate or erroneous information shared without necessarily intending to deceive.
A May 2022 article posted on the University of the Philippines website noted that Filipinos are engulfed in a relentless and expanding stream of falsehoods disseminated across multiple formats and platforms.
Disinformation on Facebook is interconnected with other social media platforms, where Facebook often serves either as the original source or as a repeater of inaccurate claims through cross-posting.
The ease with which false or misleading claims spread across social media platforms has increased the likelihood that audiences will encounter disinformation, particularly when repeated claims or variations of the same narrative continue to circulate.
These repeated false claims continue to generate engagement because some users already support such views, while others eventually accept them simply through repeated exposure.
The manipulation of public perception and the exploitation of prejudice demonstrate how those in power can shape narratives to maintain their authority.
EJKs during Duterte’s drug war were extensively documented by human rights organizations, government bodies and international agencies. Nevertheless, misinformation continues to circulate online, often attempting to discredit the victims or deny that the killings ever occurred.
“By merely having access to social media, private individuals could publish their thoughts without need of self-policing or adhering to the ethical standards required of the press. As a result, content could be created and shared with abandon, purely for clout or for ‘likes,’ and even in disregard of the truth,” Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen said in Domingo vs. Badoy (G.R. No. 263384, August 15, 2023).
“The dangers of the proliferation of false information and narratives are not difficult to imagine. Allowing the unregulated dissemination of erroneous facts will ultimately degrade trust among the people and threaten the stability and reliability of day-to-day transactions,” the case said in Abines Jr. vs. House of Representatives (G.R. No. 278101, July 8, 2025).
The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) has actively combated online misinformation and disinformation by organizing and hosting artistic initiatives such as the Virgin Labfest.
“I believe that the arts have a function beyond entertainment. The arts can serve as a function of helping educate and serve as a mirror to society,” CCP Artistic Director Dennis Marasigan said in an interview.
Established in 2005, the Virgin Labfest is the Philippines’ only festival dedicated to “untried, untested and unstaged one-act plays,” showcasing diverse voices that tackle complex human experiences and pressing social issues.
VLF XXI ran from June 3 to 28, 2026, at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater).
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“Peyups” is the moniker of the University of the Philippines.
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Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the Seafarers’ Division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan Law Offices. For comments, email [email protected] or call 0908-866-5786./WDJ