Fans of the Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla love team clapped back at blogger Banat By earlier today on Twitter with the hashtag #WeBlockAsOne, after he called out the real-life couple and their views regarding the ABS-CBN shutdown.
As of writing, the videos about the love team are still up on the Banat By Facebook page and have since been shared by Mocha Uson’s Facebook page. The blogger created two videos about the tandem, calling their recent statements, against the government’s cease and desist order against ABS-CBN, lies and “ka-dramahan.” In an attempt to rebuff the points that the couple was making, he cites Kim Chiu’s latest viral video, saying that “law is law.”
The star couple joins celebrities like Angel Locsin, Bea Alonzo and Coco Martin in expressing their views regarding the ABS-CBN shutdown. Bernardo went on Instagram last May 12 and explained that she was initially silent about the issue because she’s terrified of backlash whenever she engages in something political. However, she hopes that the youth of today will not be swayed by fear so that they can fight for and exercise their rights as citizens.
Padilla also went on Instagram to vent his frustration on the people who continue to troll and bash his colleagues who have spoken out about the issue. He reflected on whether it’s right to stand up for their livelihood and the livelihood of all those affected by the network shutdown.
When KathNiel fans started to mass report Banat By’s live video, he countered them by saying that he’s just exercising his right to freedom of speech. He continues, “press freedom, press freedom pa kayong mga taga-ABS-CBN, eto lang hindi niyo kayang tanggapin?”
KathNiel fans then took to Twitter to air out their complaints about the blogger who was allegedly defaming the couple. In just a short time, fanbases have launched an online initiative against the blogger and other online trolls.
Fanbases have connected with other “chapters” and fan accounts in order to create a bigger mass reporting network, even creating blocklists and user guidelines that remind fans not to engage or interact with trolls (as they are paid for each engagement), in an attempt to #StarveTheTrolls.
Prominent fanbases have also hosted “Report. Block. Mute” parties in order to make the mass reporting campaign more organized and efficient. According to Twitter-based fanbase, KN Social Media Moderators, the second wave of the party will happen tonight, May 15.
Writer Juan Miguel Severo, a close friend of the couple, commended the fandom for not just shutting down trolls but also creating donation drives for those affected by the health crisis.
Kapamilya host Robi Domingo also joined in on the fun by listing down all the enemies that have yet to be defeated.
As the hashtag #WeBlockAsOne continues to trend on Twitter, many more fan accounts have called on other fandoms and Twitter users to help them mass report the Banat By and Mocha Uson Facebook pages.
Screengrab from “Barcelona: A Love Untold”
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