The use of derogatory remarks and petty arguments is widespread during political campaigns, particularly in the period leading up to elections. In many countries, political candidates and parties engage in mudslinging and bickering as they vie for power and try to gain an advantage over their opponents.

In the current Philippine setting, where the national election is still five years away, negative campaigning tactics in pursuit of power and to outdo rivals and would-be rivals are already making the scene.

Referred to as the practice of making malicious or damaging accusations against an opponent, often without substantial evidence, mudslinging involves attacking the character, integrity, or personal life of the opposing candidate rather than focusing on substantive policy differences.

Regrettably, we now see entities involved in mudslinging in the form of rumors, distortion of facts, or inflammatory language to discredit perceived threats to their political ambitions. Out of the blue, militant groups become the instruments of ambitious politicians.

A recent video of the temporary closure of a portion of busy Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City dragged in the name of Vice President Sara Duterte as the cause.

In the video uploaded on Thursday, a man who appeared to be the one recording the footage, inquired from a police officer about the identity of the one for the traffic was disrupted. The officer responded, "Si VP tatawid," which the man interpreted as referring to Duterte.

The officer reluctantly confirmed when asked if "VP" referred to Duterte.

Duterte has refuted any involvement in the road closure, saying in a statement from her office that she did not request assistance from the QCPD to shut down the road. She said the viral video was not only misleading but also entirely untrue.

When the incident occurred, Duterte was in Mindanao commemorating World Teachers Day, far from Quezon City.

We witness bickering, petty arguments, and disputes. Name-calling, personal attacks, and trivial "he said, she said" debates — rather than important issues and coherent policy platforms — flood netizens' newsfeeds almost daily.