A publication material from a municipal police station in Zamboanga del Norte earned attention for how it conveyed its message against bullying online.
Last Saturday, the Polanco Municipal Police Station brought awareness to bullying and reminded Filipinos about it on its Facebook and Twitter accounts.
“BE A TRUE BUDDY NOT A FALSE BULLY. STOP BULLYING!” it said in its caption.
The post also included the following hashtags: “#WeServeAndProtect,” “#PNPKakampiMo” and “#TeamZNPPO.”
The police station’s pubmat featured a big “do not” sign across the following words which it associated with bullying:
Threats, hitting, lies, pushing, teasing, rumors, gossiping, humiliate, cyberbullying, hurt, mistreat, brutalize, stealing, harassment, aggression, insults and abuse
The message of being a “false bully” baffled some Filipinos online.
“Sarge, pa-elaborate nga pls,” a Twitter user quipped, using the informal term for “sergeant,” a rank in the police and military force.
“Whut are you saying, sir???” another online user asked.
“Ano yung ‘false bully’? ‘False buddy’ kamo? Lol,” a different Filipino quipped with a grinning squinting emoji.
“False” is defined as “not genuine,” “intentionally untrue” and “not true.”
“Bully,” on the other hand, is defined as “a blustering, browbeating person” or someone who treats others in a “cruel, insulting, threatening, or aggressive fashion.”
A false bully means that a person perceived to be a bully is not really considered one.
