They thought they were untouchable—but Meta just proved otherwise.
Social media giant Meta has removed the Facebook pages of several high-profile Filipino influencers for promoting illegal online gambling, following a joint request by digital advocacy group Digital Pinoys and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).
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“We thank Meta for swiftly acting on our joint request with CICC to take down the pages of influencers blatantly promoting illegal online gambling. We hope the remaining pages flagged in our initial report will be removed in the coming days,” said Digital Pinoys National Campaigner Ronald Gustilo.
The first batch of takedowns includes major online personalities such as:
Sachzna Laparan – 9.7 million followers
Boy Tapang – 5.5 million followers
Mark Anthony Fernandez – 242,000 followers
Kuya Lex TV – 100,000 followers
A total of 20 influencers were flagged and submitted for review.
“Some of these influencers thought they were untouchable—that we were bluffing,” said Gustilo.
“They had more than enough time to comply. They gambled with the law, and now they’re facing the consequences.”
He emphasized this is just the beginning of a broader crackdown and lauded the government’s resolve.
“Under the leadership of Asec. Aboy Paraiso, we’ve seen real, fast, and effective action. This is the kind of CICC we need—decisive, responsive, and unafraid. Congratulations to the entire CICC team.”