It’s a culture in business and among people in this country. We’re like crabs with a kettle open- there’s no need to put a lid because as a people we pull each other to the bottom to be cooked. I could still remember when I was a kid there was a rumor that “taho” is made out of cat’s brains. Some dork want to put the soya bean factories out of business. Then there’s the rumor that Jollibee burgers are made out of worms because during that time in the 1980s vermi-culture was the trend. But the public was not swayed- McDonald’s and other burger stands are now on the ropes.
There was even a story that a man fell into a factory and that his body and innards where crushed and mixed with the patis. But households continue to patronize that product up to today. When I was in high school – the target was fishball- some health teacher claimed that it contains “feces”. But the story was debunked when we were in college- and even saw a kin of that health teacher partaking of the fishball.
“Paninira” does not work- it creates more skeptics to it than belief. There are of course urban legends but that’s another story. Paninira is black propaganda to destroy the opposition whether in business or other endeavors. I remember during college that there was rumor that one of our friends who kept to himself is gay- but it turns out the dude who spread the rumor is actually the dudette. Well true or not we should not spread ill winds- the true test of the pudding is always in the eating. My ex-girlfriend before was a victim of paninira and in defending her I told her “you know your own truth and truth knows you well than they do”.
