VP is top victim of fake news, fact-checking group says
Published Jan 2, 2020 12:00 am
By Raymund Antonio
2019 was clearly a challenging year for Vice President Leni Robredo, the leader of the opposition, who came in at number one on the list of victims of fake news last year.
Vice President Leni Robredo (Kevin Tristan Espiritu / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Robredo shared a link to the year-end report of Vera Files on its fact checking activities that named her on top of the list of public figures with fake quotes attributed to them and were posted online.
“Am still the number 1 victim of fake news in 2019,” the Vice President said in a Facebook post.
The report said the Vice President was the “most targeted, with six fake statements” attributed to her. These went viral on social media after she assumed her post as co-chair of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs in November, 2019.
“Most of Robredo’s fake quote cards depict her either as someone who speaks non-sensical statement, or someone who protects drug suspects,” said Vera Files.
During her short drug czar stint, false quote cards made rounds about Robredo who was quoted as saying she wanted to allow drug suspects to carry guns and to prohibit police from carrying firearms during drug operations.
“If the police want to be armed during raid… I will allow the suspects to carry a gun and use it para po patas ang laban (to give them a fair chance),” the quote said.
“Bilang co-Chairman ng ICAD, agad kong ipagbabawal sa lahat ng kapulisan ang pagdadala ng baril o anuman uri ng sandata during Raid and Police Operation ng sagayon masiguro ko walang mamamatay na suspek (As co-chairman of ICAD, I will immediately prohibit the entire police force to carry guns or any weapon during raid and police operation in order to ensure no suspects will be killed),” another quote read.
The Vice President denied she issued such statements.
On her personal Facebook account, Robredo has been calling out social media posts by trolls containing false information about her to debunk and correct them.
Other critics of the Duterte administration who made it to the Vera Files list of victims of fake news in 2019 are: Former Senator Bam Aquino came second, followed by Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, and Bayan Muna Partylist Rep. Carlos Zarate.
Also included were former President Benigno Aquino III, activist “running priest” Robert Reyes, Journalists Maria Ressa and Raissa Robles, and opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros.
Vera Files, a non-government organization, is one of the fact-checkers accredited by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) in the Philippines to prevent social media disinformation.
Vice President Leni Robredo (Kevin Tristan Espiritu / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Robredo shared a link to the year-end report of Vera Files on its fact checking activities that named her on top of the list of public figures with fake quotes attributed to them and were posted online.
“Am still the number 1 victim of fake news in 2019,” the Vice President said in a Facebook post.
The report said the Vice President was the “most targeted, with six fake statements” attributed to her. These went viral on social media after she assumed her post as co-chair of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs in November, 2019.
“Most of Robredo’s fake quote cards depict her either as someone who speaks non-sensical statement, or someone who protects drug suspects,” said Vera Files.
During her short drug czar stint, false quote cards made rounds about Robredo who was quoted as saying she wanted to allow drug suspects to carry guns and to prohibit police from carrying firearms during drug operations.
“If the police want to be armed during raid… I will allow the suspects to carry a gun and use it para po patas ang laban (to give them a fair chance),” the quote said.
“Bilang co-Chairman ng ICAD, agad kong ipagbabawal sa lahat ng kapulisan ang pagdadala ng baril o anuman uri ng sandata during Raid and Police Operation ng sagayon masiguro ko walang mamamatay na suspek (As co-chairman of ICAD, I will immediately prohibit the entire police force to carry guns or any weapon during raid and police operation in order to ensure no suspects will be killed),” another quote read.
The Vice President denied she issued such statements.
On her personal Facebook account, Robredo has been calling out social media posts by trolls containing false information about her to debunk and correct them.
Other critics of the Duterte administration who made it to the Vera Files list of victims of fake news in 2019 are: Former Senator Bam Aquino came second, followed by Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, and Bayan Muna Partylist Rep. Carlos Zarate.
Also included were former President Benigno Aquino III, activist “running priest” Robert Reyes, Journalists Maria Ressa and Raissa Robles, and opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros.
Vera Files, a non-government organization, is one of the fact-checkers accredited by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) in the Philippines to prevent social media disinformation.