From Purple to Pink: The Filipino ARMY for Leni and the Fight for Good Governance

Abstract

“From Purple to Pink: The Filipino ARMY for Leni and the Fight for Good Governance” describes a set of social media tactics used by Philippine ARMY to counter misinformation during the 2022 national elections. Allison Anne Gray Atis, Noel Sajid I. Murad, and Hannah Ruth L. Sison recount their involvement as ARMY for Leni during Leni Robredo’s political campaign to challenge the autocratic Rodrigo Duterte administration and his anointed successor. Offering an account of a political group that cohered around their love of Leni and BTS, the authors discuss how they used the seeds of hope and humor to sustain youth participation during a grueling election season. The chapter tracks not only how the group disseminated political messaging for their candidate through BTS memes but also through other K-Pop methods, such as fundraising with BTS-themed campaign “merch,” mutual aid, and rallies.