Millions of data are added daily to the world wide web. Sites that allow the public to post their own information or announcement issue disclaimers. They do not guarantee the veracity, accuracy and truthfulness of the data posted by the public. So, viewers beware.
As individuals, we cannot altogether protect ourselves from smear campaign, or any false or inaccurate information about us. Once in a while, it would be good to Google your name and find out what others say about you or if there’s any inaccurate information about you. There are a lot of malicious people out there.
If you have Spanish sounding name, aside from Filipino katukayo, chances are, you have katukayo also in Spain, Mexico, America, etc. Which what happened to a friend of mine. He was shocked when he Googled his name. His name is so common pala. He has a katukayo, full name, middle name and surname, all the same, who’s a convicted sex offender in Nevada.
I recently hired a young accountant. Two weeks after she started her new job as finance assistant, her officemates in the accounting department googled her name.
They were shocked that her photo and full name was there on the site BEWARE. There’s a logo pa that looked so similar to Philippine flag and emblem which gave the readers an impression that it was a government site. She was shaking and crying and didn’t know what to do.
I did not doubt that she probably did something wrong. I just advised her to contact the site and cher previous employers. Instead of jumping into conclusion that she’s a bad person unworthy of our trust, I gave her a chance to clear her name. I guided her on how to go about it. She’s only 23 and seems like a really nice girl.
She was able to trace what happened. When she resigned from her previous job, they posted her picture and name in the Manila Bulletin newspaper. It’s their company’s SOP. In fact, when she was still working for them, she was the one assigned to publish the names of every person that resigned in the Bulletin. This web site, picked up the info and posted her name and photo on their website.
A warrant of arrest was published in the newspaper for two women, over non-payment of P45,000 to a supplier. The company that they were working for closed.
These two had no idea that the supplier filed a collection case against them. Of course they were not represented in court during the hearings, and of course they never appeared in court. hayun, bigla na lang merong warrant of arrest. Their photos and full name were published in the daily newspaper. Nakakahiya na at nakaka kulo pa ng dugo. Buti na lang, before they got arrested, someone close to them saw the publication and helped them hide while their lawyers filed the necessary dismissal of the case.
So people, this could happen to you. So once in a while, Google your name. And read the newspaper too. Okay lang that your name is in the classified ads section, huwag lang sa obituary.
