Twitter announced the suspension of hundreds of accounts believed to be linked to supporters of Ferdinand Marcos Junior, presidential candidate in the Philippines, and violated the American platform's rules on manipulation and spam.
The candidacy of the son and namesake of the country's former dictator is backed by a massive social media campaign aimed at getting him elected in May as his clan seeks a political comeback.
Read alsoPhilippines: Marcos buried as a hero
Twitter said it reviewed accounts and hashtags identified in an article published Tuesday by the Philippine news site Rappler.
More than 300 accounts have been deleted "
for violating our platform's policy on manipulation and spam,
" the social network said in a statement sent to AFP on Saturday.
Most had been removed before the Rappler article was published and an investigation is ongoing, he adds.
Filipinos are among the biggest social media users in the world and the country has become a key battleground for fake news.
“
With the Philippine election in May, we remain vigilant to identify and eliminate suspicious information campaigns targeting electoral conversations
”, assures Twitter.
Marcos Jr's spokesman, Vic Rodriguez, said there was "
no certainty
" that all of the suspended accounts belonged to supporters of the candidate.
An electoral victory for Marcos Jr would mark the family's final political return, in exile in the United States after the humiliating fall of its patriarch in 1986.
Marcos Sr and his wife Imelda had been accused of massive corruption when they were in power.
Recent polls give Marcos Jr a strong lead over his main rival, incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo.
According to Rappler, Marcos Jr's supporters are "
seeking to dominate Twitter
" and many of the accounts the site investigated were created around the time his candidacy was announced in October.
These accounts conveyed the idea that the Marcos were "
victims
" of the 1986 uprising and that their return to the Malacanang presidential palace was "
long overdue
", according to the site.
Sharing political content on an account or inciting to do so via hashtags is allowed, "
unless the accounts are fake, paid or automated, which we do not have clear proof of in this case
", indicates Twitter.
On Monday, the American giant announced the extension to Brazil, Spain and the Philippines of a test device to allow users to report misleading content.
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